One Turkish soldier killed in clashes in Hatay’s Amanos Mountains

One Turkish soldier was killed in clashes during the ongoing operations against the PKK terror group in the Amanos Mountains near Turkey's southern province of Hatay, the military said on Tuesday.

Hatay's Gendarmerie Command launched an operation last week, after the region was declared a "special security zone".

The specialized sergeant was killed Tuesday afternoon during clashes between the security forces and PKK terrorists, who were hiding out in that area.

Hatay Governor Erdal Ata said that the gendermerie have been conducting surveillance and exploration activities for the past few months, but it was the first time they had established close contact.

"For the moment, the clashes continue," he added.

Meanwhile, security sources who asked to remain anonymous due to restrictions on speaking to the media, said that an aerial operation in the Amanos Mountains region was carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) between 09:05 p.m. and 09:10 p.m. local time, adding that four PKK targets were completely destroyed and the jets safely returned to their bases.

The PKK - listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU - resumed its armed campaign in July 2015 and since then has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,100 security personnel and civilians, including women and children.