4 Turkish soldiers killed in skirmish with PKK: defense ministry
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Four Turkish soldiers were killed and six injured during an operation near the border with the Kurdistan Region, Turkey’s Defence Ministry announced early Saturday. The casualties likely occurred during a skirmish with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), though the guerrillas were not named in the ministry statement that was reported on by state-owned Anadolu Agency.
The operation took place in the Cukurca district of Hakkari province. The PKK is active on both sides of the Turkey-Kurdistan border and the Turkish army conducts offensives against them in both countries.
The ministry claimed that Turkey carried out “air operations and fire support” against the PKK fighters.
The PKK has not immediately commented on the incident.
In mid-March, Turkey announced the deaths of two of their soldiers in clashes with the PKK inside the Kurdistan Region, in Sidakan district.
The decades-long conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state was reignited in July 2015 after an attempted peace process failed. At least 4,330 people have been killed in clashes or terror attacks in the past nearly four years, according to the International Crisis Group that is tracking the conflict. That number includes 2,499 PKK fighters, 1,144 members of state security forces, 464 civilians, and 223 people whose affiliations were not identified.