Dozen PKK members killed in Turkish border town

ANKARA

Turkish security forces killed 12 PKK terrorists in the southeastern district of Cizre, the military said in a statement Sunday.

The Turkish General Staff said Saturday’s deaths in Cizre, on the Syrian border, were among 320 terrorists killed in the town since anti-terror operations were launched across southeast Turkey on Dec. 15.

On Tuesday, the military said 578 PKK terrorists had been killed since the start of operations in five districts in the provinces of Diyarbakir, Sirnak and Mardin.

In Kilis, the southeastern province that borders Syrian territory controlled by Daesh, the military said seven foreigners, including two children, were detained while trying to enter Turkey illegally. They are believed to be supporters of Daesh, the statement added.

The PKK - considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU - resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in late July last year. Since then, more than 200 members of the security forces have been martyred and thousands of PKK terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.