UPDATE - 7 soldiers martyred, 21 injured in SE Turkey operation

UPDATES NUMBER OF SOLDIERS MARTYRED AND INJURED

ANKARA (AA) - Seven soldiers were martyred and 21 others injured in an operation against the PKK terrorist organization in Turkey's southeastern Hakkari province on Saturday, the Turkish General Staff announced.

The official statement revised upwards earlier unofficial figures from military sources, who had said three soldiers were martyred and 20 injured in Hakkari’s Cukurca district.

The statement added that the injured soldiers were taken to hospital, and more than 100 terrorists were killed in the ongoing operation on Saturday.

Clashes between PKK terrorists and Turkish Armed Forces in Cukurca started at 6.45 a.m. (0345GMT) early Saturday, the military sources said earlier, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Additionally the clashes were reported to be ongoing in the area.

The PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU – resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July last year.

Since then, more than 600 security personnel have been martyred and more than 7,000 PKK terrorists killed.