TEHRAN – The Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT) has announced the killing of the leader of the Iran branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist group in a targeted operation in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.

In a statement issued on Saturday via X, the agency confirmed the death of Saliha Akbiyik, the head of the Iranian faction of PKK. 

As noted by the daily Milliyet, the decision to neutralize this key figure, who was on Turkey's wanted list for terrorist activities, was strategically made. 

Ankara emphasized that this individual, actively pursued by Turkish intelligence operatives, was killed in a meticulously planned operation executed at an optimal moment. 

Saliha Akbiyik, known by the code name “Nozhiyan Amad”, is believed to have joined the PKK in 1993. Besides leading terror acts on Iranian soil, she oversaw operations of militants seeking refuge along the Iran-Iraq border, according to Turkish media. 

Turkey asserts that Akbiyik joined the PKK's rural unit in Mersin, Turkey, underwent training at the group's camp in Greece, and engaged in various political, military, and social activities associated with the PKK. 

During her time in Iraq, she reportedly participated in armed terror operations in regions such as “Qandil,” “Zab,” “Metina,” and “Makhmur.”

The PKK is classified as a terror organization by several countries, including Iran, the United States, the European Union, and Turkey. Its activities have included numerous bombings, assassinations, and other forms of violence, resulting in thousands of deaths in the region. The group, mainly based in Iraq, pursues separatist goals and is believed to have close ties with the Israeli regime.