Turkish national defense minister Hulusi Akar announced the conclusion of a military operation in northern Iraq’s Gara region on Saturday, Ahval reported.

The operation ended after 13 Turkish soldiers, policemen, and intelligence officials were killed in the area.

“More than 50 targets were destroyed in an aerial operation,” Akar told reporters. “Searches conducted in a cave that was taken under control following intense clashes revealed the bodies of 13 citizens of ours who had been abducted.”

“First inspections revealed that one of our innocent and unarmed citizens had been shot in his shoulder, while the other 12 were martyred with shots to their heads,” the Turkish defense minister said.

According to Akar, the operation saw Turkish forces kill 48 members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).