12 PKK terrorists killed in southeast Turkey

ANKARA

A dozen PKK terrorists have been killed in an ongoing counter-terrorism operation in southeast Turkey, the military said Tuesday.

The operation in Bitlis province began on March 22 and the 12 terrorists were killed in a rural area on Monday, the General Staff said in a statement.

During the operation, security forces seized 10 assault rifles, a sniper rifle, a machine gun, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and seven grenades.

On Monday, the military said 46 PKK militants had been killed over the previous week across the southeast.

Listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU, the PKK has killed more than 1,200 people, including security force personnel and civilians, since July 2015.

*Reporting by Sarp Ozer; Writing by Ahmet Furkan Mercan