Turkish Says 8 Soldiers Killed In Clashes With PKK

The Turkish military says eight government soldiers and six members of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) were killed on May 13, the latest violence to flare up in the largely Kurdish southeast.

In a statement, the military said six soldiers were killed and eight were wounded in clashes with PKK militants in the southeastern Hakkari province.

It said two more soldiers were killed in a separate incident in Hakkari when a military helicopter crashed due to technical issues. The statement added that six PKK militants were killed in the operation in the region.

Violence in southeastern Turkey has surged since a fragile peace process between the state and the PKK collapsed in July 2015.

Over 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK took up arms in 1984 demanding Kurdish autonomy.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP