9 PKK terrorists killed in southeast Turkey

By Sarp Ozer, Ekrem Payan and Abidin Yel

ANKARA

Nine suspected PKK terrorists were killed in two separate incidents in southeast Turkey Tuesday, according to a military source.

In the first incident, seven suspected PKK terrorists were killed in a clash with security forces in southeastern Hakkari province, the source said.

Separately, two other PKK terrorists were killed in Sirnak province, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said. The suspects were allegedly planning to assassinate regional District Governor Ahmet Adanur.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July last year. Since then, more than 700 security force members have been martyred and around 8,000 PKK terrorists killed or apprehended.