2 soldiers martyred in PKK attack in eastern Turkey

By Sarp Ozer

ANKARA

Two Turkish soldiers were martyred in an attack by PKK terrorists in the eastern province of Hakkari, the military said Monday.

According to a Turkish General Staff statement, the incident, which occurred during an ongoing counter-terror operation in Semdinli district, left another soldier wounded.

Turkish Armed Forces will "continue its fight against all terror organizations until the last terrorist is killed," the statement said, conveying condolences to the families of the martyred soldiers.

In another statement issued later in the day, the Turkish General Staff said a soldier was martyred and two others injured Sunday when a hand grenade accidentally exploded in northern Iraq.

The injured have been taken to hospital and are out of danger, the statement added.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015.

Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including women and children.

The group uses northern Iraq's mountainous border region to launch attacks on Turkey and has its main base at Qandil, near the Iraq-Iran border.