By RIA Novosti,
Ankara : Five Turkish servicemen have been killed in fighting with members of the armed wing of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in southeast Turkey, NTV reported Thursday.
Citing military sources, the Turkish TV channel said at least five PKK members were killed in the clashes, which occurred late Wednesday in the Hakkari province, which borders Iraq.
In addition, one serviceman died and 15 received slight injuries when a helicopter carrying reinforcements to the conflict zone crashed accidentally, the Hurriyet newspaper reported.
The PKK, considered a terrorist organization by the EU, the United States and many other countries, has been fighting for an autonomous ethnic Kurd state in southeast Turkey for nearly 25 years. The conflict has claimed over 40,000 lives.