LOC11:28
08:28 GMT
ISTANBUL, June 19 (KUNA) -- Eight Turkish soldiers were killed along with
14 others wounded in an assault launched by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
rebels on a military site, southeastern of Turkey, in what was described as
the deadliest offensive since several months, security sources said here
Saturday.
A group of PKK elements attacked a military site at Semdinli district near
to Hakkari province in what led to a shootout that lasted till the early hours
of this morning, a statement made by the General Staff of the Turkish Armed
Forces on its website mentioned, pointing out that this attack led to the
killing and injury of 22 Turkish soldiers.
The offensive came following a statement made by the Turkish Army Command
on the killing of 130 PKK elements during the operations staged by the army in
the past four months.
Further, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan drew attentions, in an
address delivered before provincial chiefs of Justice and Development Party,
to the timing of this escalation by PKK elements against the Turkish
governmental troops, saying that terror acts and dirty ploys start to
aggravate whenever Turkey further progresses.
Erdogan also touched upon terror that is recently on the increase, pointing
out that, "timing of these latest attacks draws attention and should be
carefully scrutinized," adding that terror did not fulfil its targets and
would not fulfil them.
Clashes have increasingly mounted in the recent weeks between the Turkish
army and the PKK rebels after PKK abolished a one-year unilateral ceasefire,
and with the advent of warm weather season in the eastern mountainous region
of Turkey in what makes rebels move more easily. (end)
ta.aff
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