| Three Turkish soldiers killed in clash in southeast |
| Written by Anti-Terror Group | |
| Friday, 03 August 2007 | |
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Turkish troops killed five Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members in the southeast in a clash that also left three soldiers dead, news agencies reported yesterday. The fighting erupted in the province of Tunceli late Wednesday as troops tracked down the PKK members who allegedly wounded a Turkish soldier late Tuesday, Doğan news agency reported.
The troops called for their surrender, but were met with gunfire, leading to the clash that claimed eight lives, Doğan said. State-run media also reported the fighting, and confirmed the number of dead. The PKK has battled the Turkish government forces since 1984, seeking autonomy for the Kurds in the country. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives. Turkey is considering a cross-border military operation to root out the PKK bases in neighboring Iraq, but the United States is opposed to such an incursion, fearing it might drag the relatively calm northern part of Iraq into chaos. A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said earlier this week that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki would visit his Turkish colleague in the coming weeks to discuss ways to stop activities of PKK members hiding in Iraq's north. The United States and European Union call PKK a terrorist organization. |