According to the Turkish semi-official Anadolu Agency, Engin Karaaslan, codenamed Haydar Varto, a member of the PKK's Central Committee, was killed by a Turkish intelligence agency in the Syrian Kurdish city of Qamishli.

Turkish media have claimed that the PKK leader was on the Red List of wanted by the international police (Interpol) and that he was targeted by drones in the Eli Fero region of the Qamishli-Hasakah main road.

According to the same source, Engin Karaaslan has been in contact with the PKK in the eighties of the last century and took personal training from Abdullah Ocalan.