'18 terrorists killed' in eastern Turkey operations

ANKARA

Eighteen PKK terrorists were killed during five separate anti-terrorism operations in eastern Turkey Saturday, according to regional governor offices and military.

In the first incident, seven terrorists were killed, one surrendered and another nabbed by security forces during an ongoing anti-PKK operations in the Lice district of southeastern Diyarbakir province, the local governorship said in a statement.

Separately, the Turkish General Staff in its statement said the army killed two other terrorists in the Hozat district of eastern Tunceli province.

A military source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, added that five more terrorists were killed in the Alibogazi neighborhood between Hozat and Cemisgezek districts in Tunceli during an operation.

Meanwhile, in the Cukurca district of southeastern Hakkari province, two more terrorists were killed and another injured by a Turkish drone, an army source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

Also, the governor’s office in southeastern Sirnak province announced that two terrorists were killed during ongoing anti-PKK operations.

During the operations, improvised explosive devices were also destroyed and a cache of weapons, ammunition and explosive materials were also seized.

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 300 civilians and nearly 800 security personnel have been martyred. Around 8,000 PKK terrorists have been killed or apprehended.

*Reporting by Haydar Toprakci and Fikret Kavgali; Writing by Ahmet Sait Akcay