35 Kurdish rebels killed in clash
Saturday, 18 October 2008
ANKARA, Oct 17 (AFP): The Turkish army said Friday that up to 35 Kurdish rebels may have died in a military offensive near the Iraqi border earlier this week.
General Metin Gurak, the head of the general staff's press department, said that intercepted wireless communication between Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels during Tuesday's operation in Sirnak province spoke of up to 35 casualties.
"As you can see the organisation has suffered heavily. We are still sweeeping the area. We do not have an official statement yet" on the PKK's losses, he told a press conference.
The communication was intercepted after Turkish artillery and gunship fire targeted two groups of PKK militants when they were moving towards a military outpost in the mountainous region, he said.
The intercepeted messages also suggested the the rebels might have shot dead fellow militants who were seriously wounded and could not move.
The Turkish army has intensified operations against the PKK since October 3 when the militants crossing from hideouts in neighbouring Iraq assaulted a border outpost, killing 17 soldiers.
General Metin Gurak, the head of the general staff's press department, said that intercepted wireless communication between Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels during Tuesday's operation in Sirnak province spoke of up to 35 casualties.
"As you can see the organisation has suffered heavily. We are still sweeeping the area. We do not have an official statement yet" on the PKK's losses, he told a press conference.
The communication was intercepted after Turkish artillery and gunship fire targeted two groups of PKK militants when they were moving towards a military outpost in the mountainous region, he said.
The intercepeted messages also suggested the the rebels might have shot dead fellow militants who were seriously wounded and could not move.
The Turkish army has intensified operations against the PKK since October 3 when the militants crossing from hideouts in neighbouring Iraq assaulted a border outpost, killing 17 soldiers.