Military hits PKK bases as violence continues

Turkish war planes carried out a new wave of air strikes against 17 targets of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the southeastern province of Hakkari overnight as a soldier was killed in an attack on a military post and as Turkey bid farewell to six members of security forces killed in recent attacks.

"Seventeen targets of the separatist terrorists were hit with precision and neutralized" in the Buzul and ?kiyaka mountains of Hakkari province, on the border with Iran and Iraq, the army stated on Aug. 11.

The strikes were in retaliation for a succession of attacks in Turkey on Aug. 10 that killed six members of the security forces, which were believed to be conducted by the PKK.  

Turkish war planes have for over two weeks bombed targets of the PKK in their strongholds in the remote mountains of northern Iraq as well as southeastern Turkey.

In new violence overnight, a Turkish soldier was killed in a gun attack on a military post in ??rnak in an attack blamed on the PKK.

PKK militants launched the attack against the Akdizgin military base at 12:20 a.m. on Aug. 11 with long-barreled weapons.

The clashes continued for approximately 20 minutes, before the militants escaped in the dark toward Mount Gabar, on the outskirts of which the military base is located. 

Military reinforcements were sent to the region following the attack. Two attack helicopters also sprayed the militants' escape route with fire. 

Non-commissioned officer Bar?? Aybek, 22, was severely injured in the clashes and later died at ??rnak Military Hospital, where he was taken to receive treatment.

Seven PKK militants were killed in operations on Aug. 9 in the Tendürek Mountain located in the eastern province of...