World Bulletin / News Desk

Five PKK extremists have been "neutralized" in Turkey's southeastern Hakkari province, the military said Thursday.

In a statement, the Turkish General Staff said that the extremists "neutralized" Wednesday in Cukurca district had been preparing to carry out a extremist attack on the security forces.

Meanwhile, another PKK extremist was captured in eastern Bingol province Wednesday, along with his AK-47 Kalashnikov rifle and two grenades, the statement said.

Security forces also seized rocket-propelled grenade launchers, rifles, grenades, and ammunition belonging to the extremist group in four shelters in Hakkari, Bingol, and southern Antalya province, it added.

Separately, an air raid in Lice, southeastern Diyarbakir province destroyed several weapon emplacements and shelters belonging to the extremist group.

The PKK -- listed as a extremist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July last year.

Since then, PKK extremist attacks martyred more than 700 security personnel and also claimed the lives of many civilians, including women and children, while nearly 8,000 PKK extremists were killed in army operations.