41 PKK fighters killed in military operations

A total of 41 militants of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in military operations in northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey in the past two days, said a Turkish military statement on Saturday.

Turkish security forces attacked the PKK bases in Tepe region in Uludere town of Sirnak province in southeastern Turkey on Thursday and Friday, killing 12 PKK rebels, said the statement issued by the Turkish General Staff.

Turkish fighters bombarded the PKK camps in northern Iraq on Thursday and Friday, leaving 29 PKK militants dead, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, a group of PKK rebels attacked Ayvalik Gendarmerie Station in Beytussebap town of Sirnak province in southeastern Turkey on Friday night, killing one Turkish soldier and injuring two others, private Dogan news agency reported on Saturday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed last Tuesday to continue military operations against the PKK until its disarmament.

"We will persevere in our struggle until they lay down and bury their arms, and until the last terrorist leaves the country," Erdogan said.

Tensions between Turkish security forces and the PKK are increasing after an Islamic State (IS) suicide bombing on July 20 killed 32 people and injured 104 others in the town of Suruc in the Sanliurfa province bordering Syria.

The Turkish authorities have said that security forces had detained over 1,300 individuals with suspected ties to the IS, the PKK and leftist groups, while the military unleashed several rounds of air strikes on PKK posts in northern Iraq. Enditem