By DPA
Ankara : Ten Kurdish militants have been killed in fighting in eastern Turkey, a statement released by the general staff said Monday.
The statement posted on the general staff’s website said military units in the province of Bingol Sunday came across the group of Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) militants and called on them to surrender. In the subsequent gunfight 10 PKK militants were killed.
A large amount of provisions, ammunition and PKK documents were seized after the clash.
The clash comes as Turkey continues sporadic bombing raids of suspected PKK camps in northern Iraq.
More than 32,000 people have been killed since the PKK launched its fight for independence or autonomy for the mainly Kurdish-populated southeast. Turkey claims that a recent upsurge in attacks is part of their efforts to smuggle US weapons and explosives from Iraq into Turkey.
Both the US and the European Union consider the PKK to be a terrorist organisation.