Three Turkish soldiers killed in PKK attack in southeast: Army

Istanbul: Three Turkish soldiers have been killed in an attack by Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels in the southeast of the country, the army said.

PKK militants attacked Turkish troops deployed in the Daglica area of the southeastern Hakkari region with gunfire and rockets, it said in a statement yesterday.

"Our troops responded immediately but three of our soldiers were martyred and six wounded, including one seriously," the army said.

After a series of attacks in Turkey, Ankara has launched a two-pronged offensive to bomb Islamic State militants in Syria and PKK rebels in northern Iraq and southeast Turkey.

So far, the operation has focused largely on the Kurdish rebels, who have responded by waging a bloody campaign against the security forces.

According to an AFP toll, 34 members of the Turkish security forces have since died in attacks blamed on the PKK.