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26 Turkish soldiers killed in Kurdish attacks
The Turkish military retaliated with air strikes and by sending in troops into neighbouring Iraq.
Istanbul: Kurdish rebels killed 26 soldiers
on Wednesday in simultaneous attacks in southeast Turkey, marking one
of the deadliest days for the army in the 27-year battle
against the separatists.
The Turkish military retaliated with air strikes and by sending in troops into neighbouring Iraq where the rebels are based while the prime minister cancelled a foreign trip. The attacks by Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK) rebels on the Turkish troops occurred in eight locations in Cukurca and Yuksekova in Hakkari province near the Iraqi border overnight, local security sources said.
The toll is the heaviest for the army since 1993, when the PKK killed 33 unarmed soldiers in Bingol province, in southeast Turkey. It could rise as at least one of the injured soldiers sustained life-threatening wounds, local health officials said.
Sources on both sides of the conflict confirmed that Turkey had responded to the attacks on the ground and in the air. Several hundred Turkish soldiers have crossed into northern Iraq to hunt down PKK rebels, Kurdish news agency Firatnews said.
"Turkish soldiers from two separate points in Cukurca town crossed into south Kurdistan to follow (rebels)," said Firat news agency, which is known as a mouthpiece of the PKK.
"Turkish ground forces are attempting to cross the Iraqi border at Jeli, in the Hakkari region" of southeast Turkey, Dozdar Hammo, a PKK spokesman said.
Turkish army commandos had been flown in by helicopter to the Iraqi side of the border, local security sources said. Turkish air force planes also bombed Kurdish rebel bases.
PTI
The Turkish military retaliated with air strikes and by sending in troops into neighbouring Iraq where the rebels are based while the prime minister cancelled a foreign trip. The attacks by Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK) rebels on the Turkish troops occurred in eight locations in Cukurca and Yuksekova in Hakkari province near the Iraqi border overnight, local security sources said.
The toll is the heaviest for the army since 1993, when the PKK killed 33 unarmed soldiers in Bingol province, in southeast Turkey. It could rise as at least one of the injured soldiers sustained life-threatening wounds, local health officials said.
Sources on both sides of the conflict confirmed that Turkey had responded to the attacks on the ground and in the air. Several hundred Turkish soldiers have crossed into northern Iraq to hunt down PKK rebels, Kurdish news agency Firatnews said.
"Turkish soldiers from two separate points in Cukurca town crossed into south Kurdistan to follow (rebels)," said Firat news agency, which is known as a mouthpiece of the PKK.
"Turkish ground forces are attempting to cross the Iraqi border at Jeli, in the Hakkari region" of southeast Turkey, Dozdar Hammo, a PKK spokesman said.
Turkish army commandos had been flown in by helicopter to the Iraqi side of the border, local security sources said. Turkish air force planes also bombed Kurdish rebel bases.
PTI