A group of 30 Kurdish fighters have ceremonially burned their weapons in northern Iraq, marking a major step toward ending a decades-long insurgency.

For the first time in four decades, the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK, is laying down its arms and says it will end its insurgency against Turkey. The separatist group’s disbandment comes after its imprisoned leader announced an end to its 41-year armed struggle and a transition to democratic politics.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has welcomed the disarmament process begun by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as an important step toward a terrorism-free Turkey.

The move comes after the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) urged his group to formally disband and disarm.