21 PKK terrorists killed in counter-terror operation near Iraq border

Airstrikes on PKK targets in an area close to the Iraqi border killed 21 terrorists yesterday, the Turkish military said.

Air and land operations in Çukurca, a mountainous district in the southeastern province of Hakkari, saw two soldiers killed and five wounded, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement.

The injured soldiers were rushed to hospitals in the region.

The fighting focused on two areas - Uzundere Hisar and Güven - between midnight and around 7 a.m. local time, the statement said.

Nine terrorists were killed by ground troops while two others were killed by an armed aerial drone. The remaining 10 terrorists were hit by Turkish Air Force jets at around 8:25 a.m. local time.

Meanwhile, two PKK terrorists were killed during a security operation in Doğubeyazıt, close to the Iranian border, the local governor's office said.

In a statement, the governorate of the province of Ağrı said security forces seized two rifles, eight grenades and ammunition during a raid.

The PKK - listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU - resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July of last year. Since then, more than 700 security force members have been killed and around 8,000 PKK terrorists have been killed or apprehended.