ANKARA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish military said Sunday that its jets killed 35 militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq.

Turkish fighter jets have carried out airstrikes on June 15 targeting the militants in Qandil mountains of northern Iraq, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that Turkish Army has hit a "critical" gathering of the PKK group in Qandil region.

Turkey has launched anti-terror operations in Qandil and Sinjar regions, Erdogan said on Monday.

The mountains, located nearly 40 km southeast of the Turkish border in Iraq's Erbil province, are being used as the headquarters for the PKK and its Iranian affiliate, the Kurdistan Free Life Party.

Following the Operation Olive Branch in Syria, Turkish forces continue their offensives in northern Iraq against camps of PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara.