This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-europe-14556624
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 5 | Version 6 |
---|---|
Kurdish rebel attack kills Turkish soldiers | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Nine Turkish soldiers have been killed and 14 injured in an attack by Kurdish separatist militants in Hakkari province, close to the Iraqi border. | |
Officials and Turkish media said the troops died after their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb or mine. There were also reports of a shoot-out. | Officials and Turkish media said the troops died after their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb or mine. There were also reports of a shoot-out. |
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said they had carried out the attack. | |
There has been an increase in rebel attacks this summer, casting doubt on the chances of peace talks. | |
Security sources told Reuters news agency that the cause of the latest deaths had been a remote-controlled explosive device. AFP news agency reported two separate mine blasts. | Security sources told Reuters news agency that the cause of the latest deaths had been a remote-controlled explosive device. AFP news agency reported two separate mine blasts. |
The attack occurred in the district of Cukurca, and officials said military reinforcements were being deployed to the area. | The attack occurred in the district of Cukurca, and officials said military reinforcements were being deployed to the area. |
"They [the rebels] are testing our patience. We'll retaliate in kind," Defence Minister Ismet Yilmaz was quoted as saying. | |
AFP news agency quoted Doldar Hammo, a PKK spokesman, as saying his group had carried out the ambush. Fighting had continued for two hours, he added. | |
Strategy questions | Strategy questions |
The attack will add to pressure on the government to devise a more effective strategy for combating the PKK, the BBC's Jonathan Head reports from Istanbul. | The attack will add to pressure on the government to devise a more effective strategy for combating the PKK, the BBC's Jonathan Head reports from Istanbul. |
The government has already said it will ask the police to play a bigger role in counter-insurgency, he says, but this idea has been challenged by critics who argue that the police are no better equipped to tackle the PKK than the army is. | The government has already said it will ask the police to play a bigger role in counter-insurgency, he says, but this idea has been challenged by critics who argue that the police are no better equipped to tackle the PKK than the army is. |
The government is also planning more cross-border operations into northern Iraq, where the PKK's main bases are. | The government is also planning more cross-border operations into northern Iraq, where the PKK's main bases are. |
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned recently of tougher action against Kurdish rebels. | Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned recently of tougher action against Kurdish rebels. |
Our correspondent says there is little talk now of renewing the so-called "democratic opening", an initiative from two year ago, which aimed to end the conflict in the south-east by expanding the rights of the Kurdish minority. | Our correspondent says there is little talk now of renewing the so-called "democratic opening", an initiative from two year ago, which aimed to end the conflict in the south-east by expanding the rights of the Kurdish minority. |
The PKK, designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the EU and the US, has waged a 26-year insurgency against the Turkish state. | |
More than 40,000 people have been killed in the violence. | More than 40,000 people have been killed in the violence. |
On Saturday, three soldiers were killed in a PKK ambush in eastern Turkey while last month, 13 soldiers and seven Kurdish rebels were killed in the deadliest clash in three years. | On Saturday, three soldiers were killed in a PKK ambush in eastern Turkey while last month, 13 soldiers and seven Kurdish rebels were killed in the deadliest clash in three years. |