Nine Kurdish rebels, soldier killed in Turkey clash

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey - Nine Kurdish rebels and a Turkish soldier have been killed in the past five days in fighting in mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkey, officials said Monday.
The clash erupted when a group of members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), now also known as KONGRA-GEL, was surrounded by soldiers in mountains in the province of Sirnak during a security operation, the office of the local governor said.
One militant surrendered to the security forces.
The operation also resulted in the seizure of weapons and ammunition in caves used by the militants, the statement said.
The PKK waged a bloody campaing for self-rule in mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkey between 1984 and 1999 before declaring a unilateral ceasefire.
The group called off the truce last June, raising tensions in the region.
The Kurdish conflict in Turkey has claimed some 36,500 lives.

04/04/2005 13:42 GMT