MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In additional to the fallen militants, three Turkish soldiers were killed and five more were wounded as a result of a roadside bomb exploding during the operation, the Yeni Safak newspaper reported.
Tensions between Ankara and the Kurds escalated in July 2015 when a ceasefire between Ankara and the PKK collapsed because of a series of terror attacks allegedly committed by PKK members. The PKK is designated as a terrorist group in both Turkey and the United States.
The Kurds currently inhabit parts of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. In Turkey, Kurds represent the largest ethnic minority, and are striving to create their own independent state.