Kurdish rebels have killed 109 Turkish soldiers during clashes which began yesterday and are still continuous in the southeastern Hakkari province of Turkey, said Firat news agency, close to the rebels.
The Kurdish news agency cited a statement by People's Defense Forces (HPG) saying that 100 more soldiers were wounded in the clashes in Şemdinli and Yüksekova districts of Hakkari.

In the same two days the rebels managed to shoot down four Turkish army helicopters, according to the statement by the military wing of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party).

HPG added the confrontations claimed the lives of 15 guerrillas whose names will be announced soon.

Turkish authorities claim that since Tuesday morning only some eight soldiers have been killed and 19 wounded. They put the death toll for the rebels at 20.

Yesterday some 100 guerrillas attacked three military bases. It was announced later that eight soldiers and 10 rebels were killed and 19 soldiers wounded.

PKK fights for autonomy of the Kurdistan region of Turkey. Its armed struggle since 1984 is also aimed at securing ethnic rights for millions of Kurds in the country which roughly comprise 20% of the population. The clashes for almost three decades have claimed more than 45,000 lives




AKnews