Rebels kill four Turkish soldiers
Kurdish rebels ambushed a Turkish commando unit overnight, killing four soldiers in south-eastern Turkey, officials said today.
Turkish commandos came under fire as they patrolled the rugged area near the village of Cicekli, near the city of Tunceli, the Anatolia news agency said, quoting the governor’s office.
The autonomy-seeking rebels have escalated their attacks on Turkish troops since ending a unilateral truce last year.
The troops pursued the guerrillas with reinforcement from the air by planes and attack helicopters, the agency said.
Rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, declared a unilateral cease-fire in 1999 after the capture of their leader, Abdullah Ocalan. The rebels announced an end to their cease-fire last year, saying that the Turkish government has not responded in kind.
More than 37,000 people have died in the conflict since 1984.
