ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The Turkish military killed a total of 19 Kurdish militants on Friday during air strikes in the northern Iraqi regions of Zap, Gara and Hakurk, it said in a statement on Twitter.

Turkey has in recent months carried out strikes on bases of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, especially its stronghold in the Qandil mountains, where Ankara has also threatened to carry out a ground offensive.

More than 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK launched its insurgency in Turkey in 1984. It is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.