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Turkish soldier, Iranian killed in PKK attack

Xinhua, August 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

A Turkish soldier and an Iranian national were killed in an attack by militants of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in eastern Turkey on Friday, private Dogan news agency reported.

A group of PKK members tried to stop several trucks and a bus from neighboring Iran between the town of Dogubayazit of Agri province and town of Caldiran of Van province on Friday noon, the report said.

They attacked the bus as it did not stop, killing a Turkish soldier and an Iranian assistant bus driver and also wounding three Iranian nationals.

Also on Friday at least two people were killed and 10 others injured in clashes between PKK members and the Turkish security forces in southeastern Sirnak province of Turkey, private Dogan News Agency reported.

The clashes erupted as the security forces came to Silopi town of Sirnak in order to close ditches that were dug by PKK sympathizers, said the report.

The PKK militants opened fire with rocket launchers and long barreled weapons to the police officers, injuring a police officer among others.

A youth organization called "YDG-H," which linked to the PKK, has been digging ditches to prevent the Turkish security forces from entering in the region, according to the report.

Tensions between the PKK and Turkish troops and police have been mounting following a tumultuous week that began with an Islamic State (IS) suicide bomb.

Some 32 people were killed and 104 others injured in the blast in the town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province bordering neighboring Syria.

The People's Defense Forces (HPG), which is affiliated with the PKK, has claimed responsibility for killing two police officers in retaliation to the Suruc bombing, claiming that the policemen were linked to the IS.

Turkish security forces have detained over 1,300 individuals suspected of having ties to the IS, the PKK and leftist groups, according to a statement from the Turkish prime minister's office. The military has launched several airstrikes on PKK positions in northern Iraq.

Renewed conflict has led to the suspension of the peace process that was launched in 2012 between the Turkish state and the imprisoned PKK leader.

Some 40,000 people have been killed since 1984 when the armed PKK launched its first attack. Endit