Turkish military strikes leave '41 PKK militants' dead

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

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At least 41 suspected militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have been killed in military operations, including air strikes in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq, the Turkish military announced Aug. 22."A total of 29 members of a separatist terrorist organization were neutralized as a result of air strikes carried out between Aug. 20 and Aug. 21 in northern Iraq. On Aug. 21, 12 militants were also neutralized in the Şırnak province's Uludere district as a result of an operation," the Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement.The Turkish military usually uses the phrase "separatist terrorist organization" to refer to the PKK.The statement added that a gendarmerie sergeant was also injured in a PKK attack in Uludere district.Also, another gendarmerie officer and a soldier were injured in an attack on a checkpoint in eastern Van province's Gevaş district. Two suspects were also held, the statement added.More than a hundred people have been killed since July in renewed clashes between the Turkish security forces and the PKK.Meanwhile, some 240 PKK members have surrendered to the Turkish authorities over the past month, according to the Turkish security forces.Since July 24, around 1,600 people have been arrested in the wave of counter-terrorism raids amid a spike in attacks targeting security officers after the July 20 deadly suicide bombing in the southeastern district of Suruç that killed 34.The PKK has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.