HAKKARI, Turkey
An attack in Turkey’s southeastern Hakkari province on Friday left three soldiers dead and six wounded, the military said.
The patrol was attacked at around 4.40 p.m. as it carried out a search operation around the village of Daglica, close to the Iraqi border.
In a statement, the Turkish Armed Forces said: “Our units were conducting an operation in the Daglica area when a group of separatist terrorists attacked with rocket launchers and long-barreled weapons.
“The units retaliated immediately but our three personnel were martyred and six others were wounded, one in a critical condition.” The military said the casualties were airlifted to hospital and jets called in to provide air support.
The Turkish military has been conducting renewed operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party - considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S. and EU - since the group stepped up attacks on security forces since the July 20 Suruc bombing that killed 33 people.
Also on Friday, two police officers were injured when militants attacked a police residential compound in the southeastern city of Siirt, police chief Metin Ozkan told Anadolu Agency. The attackers fled after throwing homemade explosives and opening fire on the housing.
