UPDATE - 2 soldiers martyred after bomb hits convoy in SE Turkey

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR'S OFFICE

By Halil Ibrahim Sincar

MARDIN, Turkey (AA) - Two soldiers were martyred Wednesday in a bombing by PKK terrorists in southeastern Turkey, the local governor confirmed.

According to a written statement issued by the Mardin Governor's Office, an improvised explosive device was detonated at around 8.35 local time (0535GMT) while a security convoy was passing by on a highway linking the province to neighboring Diyarbakir.

Traffic on the highway -- which was closed off after the attack -- has returned to normal, the statement said.

The military has launched a wide-range operation with air support in the region to nab the assailants.

More than 1,200 people, including security force personnel and civilians, have lost their lives since the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July 2015.

Since that month, PKK attacks have left 793 security personnel martyred and 314 civilians, including women and children, dead. More than 4,000 security personnel and over 2,000 civilians have been injured.

Meanwhile, more than 10,000 PKK terrorists have been killed or apprehended in anti-terror operations. Around 5,500 weapons, 652,000 rounds of ammunition, over 142 tons of explosives, and 15,000 bombs have been seized.