44 Killed in Fighting between Turkish Soldiers, Kurdish Rebels
Pakistan Times Wire Service

ANKARA: Thirty-two Kurdish rebels and 12 Turkish soldiers were killed Sunday in heavy clashes in southeast Turkey prompted by a rebel attack on a military patrol, the Turkish army said Sunday.

The earlier toll stood at 23 rebels and 12 soldiers. Clashes erupted after a large group of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels infiltrated from northern Iraq and attacked the soldiers shortly after midnight Saturday, said a statement on the general staff's Internet site.

Sixteen Turkish soldiers were wounded in the fighting in a mountainous zone near the village of Daglica, in a region abutting the Iraqi border in the province of Hakkari.

In a brief second statement, the army said 32 Kurdish rebels had been killed as of 4:30 pm (1330 GMT) and fighting was continuing with helicopters providing cover for army units.

"Units are monitoring the escape routes of the terrorists" and heavy artillery is pounding "63 likely targets in coordination with the troop movements," the statement said.

Britain Reax

Meanwhile, a report from London says that British Foreign Secretary David Miliband condemned an ambush by Kurdish rebels on a Turkish military patrol Sunday that killed 12 soldiers, and called on other countries in the region to do the same.

"I utterly condemn the latest attacks by the PKK and send our deepest condolences to the families of the victims," said Miliband, in a statement released by the foreign ministry.

"I want to express my complete solidarity with the government, armed forces and people of Turkey.

"I call on all in the region, especially Iraq, to express their disgust at these attacks. I call on the international community to be unequivocal in its condemnation of PKK terrorism and to support Turkey in restoring stability."

Miliband said the PKK was "trying to destroy the Turkish government's efforts to improve the situation of people in the south east of the country, provoke conflict between Turkey and Iraq and damage regional stability."●