Six soldiers and two village guards were killed in Turkey’s southeastern Hakkari province that borders the Kurdistan Region, Turkey’s Interior Ministry stated.
During the clashes in the Semdinli district, the ministry claimed that 26 PKK fighters were killed. Five were reportedly killed in initial clashes and the others in a subsequent air operation in the area. The Turkish army stated the PKK fighters were trying to cross the border into the Kurdistan Region where the group has its headquarters.
Another 9 PKK fighters were reportedly killed in Tunceli province and eleven were killed in air raids in Sirnak province, according to Turkish statements.
ANF media, close to the PKK, reported that many Turkish soldiers were killed in an operation in the Semdinli district. They did not reveal the PKK's own casualties.
The decades-long conflict between the PKK and the Turkish army was reignited over two years ago. As of the end of October, 3,236 people have been killed since July 20, 2015, according to the International Crisis Group. That number includes Turkish forces, PKK fighters, and civilians.
In tracking the casualties, the Crisis Group notes problems with relying on figures provided by both sides of the conflict. "We were generally cautious about the use of figures presented by either side for the opposing party’s losses, since these were often inflated to mobilise support and legitimise further action," the monitor stated.
