Turkish Troops Kill 21 Kurdish Rebels in Clash
Turkish troops backed by attack helicopters killed 21 Kurdish rebels near the border with Iraq in the biggest clash since the guerrillas declared a unilateral truce more than five years ago, officials said Thursday.
Three Turkish soldiers and a village guardsman also were killed in the clash 25 miles from the border, between the towns of Pervari and Eruh, the governor’s office in Sirnak province said in a statement.
Several dozen rebels had crossed the border from Iraq on Tuesday, an intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.
On Thursday, about 600 Turkish soldiers and hundreds of village guards battled the rebel group.
Turkey is home to about 12 million Kurds. Turkish intelligence sources estimate that 4,500 Kurdish rebels are holed up in northern Iraq, and a few hundred reportedly operate in southeastern Turkey.
The rebels declared an end to their truce in June, saying Turkey had not reciprocated.
Turkey refuses any contact with the rebels, calling them terrorists and saying all the rebels must surrender or face death.
Turkish troops killed nine rebels this month in a five-day clash along the border with Iraq.
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