By RIA Novosti
Ankara : Nine Kurdish militants and three Turkish soldiers have been killed during clashes in Turkey’s south-east, the Turkish General Staff said on Tuesday.
It said the deaths occurred on Monday in the province of Sirnak, which borders Iraq. Large amounts of arms, ammunition and other supplies belonging to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) were seized by Turkish troops during the ongoing military operation. Five Turkish soldiers were also reported to have been injured.
More Turkish soldiers have since been sent to the area and F-16 aircraft have also been deployed.
The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous ethnic Kurd state in southeast Turkey for nearly 25 years. The conflict has so far claimed over 40,000 lives.
In late February, over 10,000 Turkish troops were involved in a ground operation in northern Iraq that targeted PKK bases. The eight-day operation saw the deaths of 27 Turkish military personnel and around 240 Kurdish militants, and led to widespread criticism from the West.
The General Staff acknowledged in a statement that the PKK had not been eliminated in the military incursion. Turkey also pledged to continue to conduct ground operations in Iraq.
On March 13, Turkish troops killed 10 PKK militants in clashes near the Iraqi border.
According to press reports, in mid-March, the PKK said it was ready to discuss a ceasefire with Turkish authorities. Turkey has consistently refused to enter into a dialogue with the party, listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S., NATO and the EU.