Kurdish Militant Group Says 31 Turkish Soldiers Killed in Attack: Website
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group said on Monday it had killed 31 Turkish soldiers in an attack and subsequent clashes in southeast Turkey, according to a statement carried on ANF news agency, a website close to the group.
The ANF news agency cited the PKK as saying a lieutenant colonel was among the dead and that six soldiers were also wounded in the clashes on Sunday in the Daglica district of Hakkari province, Reuters reported on Monday.
The statement said the final casualty toll could be higher.
Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish insurgent targets overnight after the attacks by the militants which appeared to be their deadliest attack since the collapse of a two-year-old ceasefire in July.
The military confirmed soldiers had been killed but gave no number. Its operations continued on Monday, with helicopters dropping special forces in a mountainous area near the Iraqi frontier, while drones sought out targets for the warplanes.