By KUNA,
Istanbul : Two Turkish soldiers were killed Saturday in clashes with Kurdish rebels close to the southeastern borders with Iraq, the Army Command said.
In a statement, the Army Command said the clashes occurred at the village of Silopi, close to Sirnak province, leading to the death of the two Turkish soldiers.
The region had recently witnessed tensions between the Turkish Army and members of the rebel Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK).
The army had intensified its operations against the PKK since December and waged a number of attacks on their strongholds in northern Iraq.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU, has been demanding the independence of the Kurdish-majority region of southeast Turkey since 1984, and the violence has led to the death of more than 40,000 people.