MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Ankara’s military operations in the southeastern provinces of Mardin and Sırnak have resulted in a total of nine Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants and a Turkish army sergeant killed in the last two days, the country’s General Staff said Monday.
The sergeant was reportedly wounded and taken to a hospital in the Nusaybin district of Mardin, where he died from injuries early on Monday. Seven of the militants were reportedly killed in Nusaybin on Sunday.
In addition, a total of 16 militants of the PKK group, outlawed in Turkey, were reportedly arrested on Monday after a series of operations in the southeastern Diyarbakir province.
Severe clashes between the Turkish Armed Forces and PKK have been arising sporadically in Turkey since July 2015, when Ankara declared a military campaign against the Kurdish organization.
The Kurds comprise ancient tribal groups, which are currently living in parts of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. In Turkey, Kurds represent the largest ethnic minority, and are striving to create their own independent state.
