More PKK terrorists killed in eastern Turkey

TUNCELI, Turkey

The number of PKK terrorists killed in an air operation in Turkey’s eastern province of Tunceli rose to 13, a local official said Tuesday.

According to a statement from the provincial governor’s office, Kutudere -- around 13 kilometers (eight miles) northeast of the provincial capital Tunceli -- was the scene of fierce clashes between security forces and the PKK.

The air operation -- which remains ongoing in the region -- had left 10 PKK terrorists dead, the governor’s office said. On Tuesday, three more terrorists were killed which increased the total number to 13.

"Among the terrorists killed during the operations, six of them were female," the statement added.

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.

*Reporting by Haydar Toprakci; Writing by Sibel Ugurlu