ISTANBUL - Turkish troops have killed 21 Kurdish militants, including a regional commander, in southeastern Turkey during a large-scale operation now into its fifth day, security officials said on Wednesday.
The latest offensive comes after one of the deadliest summers in years for Turkish troops following an increase in attacks on security forces by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters in the mainly Kurdish southeast of the country.The Turkish military launched the operation, involving some 3,000 Turkish troops backed by attack helicopters and warplanes, after identifying a group of around 30 PKK fighters on Goresi Mountain on the border of Elazig and Diyarbakir provinces.
