Three Turkish soldiers 'killed after clashes with PKK militants'

Three Turkish troops were killed and three others were wounded on Friday following clashes with PKK militants in the southeastern province of Hakkari, according to Turkish news agency.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

02 December, 2016

More than 387 PKK militants had been killed in the Hakkari province [Getty]

Three Turkish soldiers were killed and three others wounded after clashing with militants from the Kurdish separatist PKK group in the southeastern province of Hakkari on Friday.

Turkish soldiers launched an operation in the province following the clashes, leaving several Kurdish militants "neutralised", the private Dogan news agency said.

At least seven PKK militants were killed and nine others seriously wounded in the attack, Turkish media reported.

Earlier this week, Turkey said 49 PKK militants had been killed or captured in operations last week.

At least 269 people suspected of links with the Kurdish group were also detained by authorities.

Over the past two months, more than 387 PKK militants had been killed in the Hakkari province, Turkey said.

The PKK has waged a 32-year insurgency against the Turkish state, which has left nearly 40,000 dead since 1984.

The group is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU.

Since the collapse of a two-and-a-half-year ceasefire in July 2015, more than 600 security forces and 7,000 PKK militants have been killed, according to Anadolu.

Over the past 15 months, attacks on the Turkish security forces have continued on an almost daily basis as the government has pressed military operations against the PKK to rid urban areas of fighters.

Hakkari – close to the border with Iraq and Iran - is a flashpoint in the renewed conflict.