TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

11 soldiers reportedly killed in Turkey

Zeynep Bilginsoy (Associated Press)
Istanbul
Sat, September 3, 2016 Published on Sep. 3, 2016 Published on 2016-09-03T20:21:10+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Smoke rises and fires still burn after Kurdish militants attacked a police checkpoint in Cizre, southeast Turkey, Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, with an explosives-laden truck, killing several police officers and wounding dozens more, according to reports from the state-run Anadolu news agency. The attack struck the checkpoint some 50 meters (yards) from a main police station near the town of Cizre, in the mainly-Kurdish Sirnak province that borders Syria. Turkish authorities have put a temporary ban on distribution of images relating to Friday's Cizre attack within Turkey. Smoke rises and fires still burn after Kurdish militants attacked a police checkpoint in Cizre, southeast Turkey, Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, with an explosives-laden truck, killing several police officers and wounding dozens more, according to reports from the state-run Anadolu news agency. The attack struck the checkpoint some 50 meters (yards) from a main police station near the town of Cizre, in the mainly-Kurdish Sirnak province that borders Syria. Turkish authorities have put a temporary ban on distribution of images relating to Friday's Cizre attack within Turkey. (IHA/via AP)

E

leven soldiers were killed and 28 wounded in Turkey's east and southeast in clashes with Kurdish militants, state-run media said Saturday.

The casualties come from separate military operations in the southeastern province of Hakkari and eastern province of Van against members of the "separatist terror organization," Turkey's description of the Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK. Turkey, EU and the U.S. consider the PKK a terrorist organization.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said three soldiers were killed and 20 wounded with three in critical condition in Hakkari Saturday morning. A Turkish Armed Forces statement said 33 Kurdish militants were killed and 30 wounded in the ongoing operations.

In a statement released Saturday, the governor's office of Van said eight soldiers were killed and eight wounded in Friday operations around Tendurek Mountain. The Turkish Armed Forces statement said 13 militants were "neutralized" in operations which Anadolu described as three airstrikes.

A precarious two and a half year ceasefire between Turkey and the PKK collapsed last summer, resuming the three-decade-long conflict that has killed an estimated 40,000 people. Since fighting resumed, more than 600 Turkish security personnel and thousands of PKK militants have been killed. Rights groups say hundreds of civilians have also been killed in the clashes and tens of thousands displaced.

Turkey sent tanks across the border to Syria last month to support Free Syrian Army rebels in capturing Jarablus from the Islamic State group. The cross-border operation also aims to stall the Syrian Kurdish militants from seizing more ground in northern Syria.

Turkey contends that the U.S.-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units or YPG in Syria are an extension of the PKK. Before departing to China Friday, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "the Western world has to make a decision. Either you are standing with terror and terrorism, or you are standing against terrorism."

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.