Sat, May 26 2012

Six Turkish soldiers killed in missile attack

Mon, May 31 2010 11:18 CET

byNick Iliev

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Six Turkish soldiers killed in missile attack

A Kurdish protester is silhouetted against a flag showing imprisoned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan.

A Kurdish missile attack on May 31 resulted in the deaths of six Turkish soldiers and wounded a further seven. The missile was fired at Turkish troops near the town of Iskenderum, international media reported.

According to reports, six soldiers are confirmed to have died, while three others are said to be in a critical condition.

The attack was allegedly carried out by Kurdish rebels who fired on a military vehicle carrying troops in the Mediterranean port of Iskenderun. The attack occurred at 6am Bulgarian time.

The latest round of violence follows the bombing of Kurdish rebels targets in northern Iraq a fortnight ago by the Turkish air force.

In a separate attack over the weekend, five members of the Turkish security forces were killed in the south and east of the country.

Meanwhile, jailed Kurdish rebel leader, Abdullah Ocalan, imprisoned since 1999, has reportedly said that he has given up hope of potential dialogue with the Turkish government.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has been fighting for autonomy in Turkey's largely Kurdish south-east for more than two decades. Military operations began in 1984, with the aim of creating an autonomous homeland. Since the onset of hostilities, it is estimated that about 40 000 people have died on both sides.

The PKK insurgents have been labelled as terrorists by Turkey, the US and the European Union.

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