On Saturday, Turkish media reported citing the country’s Defense Ministry that two soldiers died and another three were injured during the country’s "Claw-Sword" operation. The report said citing the defense ministry that another soldier died after being struck by lightning.
Milliyet reported that Akar was holding a meeting with Turkey’s military command in Ankara on Saturday night. According to the newspaper, the defense minister returned earlier than planned from Konya, where he participated in events with the president.
Since November 20, Turkey has been conducting an air operation against militant bases of the People's Defense (Protection) Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) — groups outlawed in Turkey — in northern Syria and Iraq. The strikes followed recent deadly terrorist attacks on Turkish territory. According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, a total of 89 targets have been destroyed during the operation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the operation a success, raising the possibility of conducting an additional ground operation soon.