Turkish police officer killed in clash with Kurdish rebels

One police officer and one PKK militant have been killed in separate clashes in Turkey's south and southeast.

1 min read

06 August, 2017

Over 600 Turkish security personnel have been killed by the PKK since 2015 [AFP]

A Turkish police officer was killed in clashes between security forces and Kurdish PKK separatists in Turkey's south-eastern Hakkari province on Sunday.

Another police officer was also injured and rushed to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, a statement from Hakkari's governor said.

An "aerial operation" has been launched against PKK targets in the region, while one Kurdish militant was killed by Turkish forces in the country's eastern province of Bingol.

Turkey's largely Kurdish south-east has been rocked by violence following the collapse of a two-and-a-half year ceasefire between Ankara and the PKK in 2015. More than 600 Turkish security force members have been killed in the violence.

The autonomy-seeking PKK took up arms in 1984, and more than 40,000 people have died in the conflict.

The PKK is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the US and the EU.