By KUNA
Istanbul : Regular Turkish military forces have stepped up action against die-hard warriors of the rebel Kurdish group, the Workers Party of Kurdistan, in the border southeastern regions.
The “CNN Turk” network quoted a statement by the Turkish Army as saying that the government military forces killed 21 gunmen of the Kurdish group, also known as the PKK, in the frontier areas.
Gunship helicopters were involved in the army’s combing operations in the rugged, mountainous regions, and military reinforcements were called in.
The Turkish Army has recently carried out a major mop-up operation against bases and hideouts of the PKK, penetraing deep into northern Iraqi territories.
Today’s reports indicated that the latest clashes centered in the Sirnak province.
The PKK has been fighting for self-rule in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast since 1984, in a conflict that has claimed more than 37,000 lives.