Kurdish Rebels Kill 3 Turkish Soldiers

Posted August 1st, 2011 at 1:05 pm (UTC-5)
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Turkish officials say Kurdish rebels have attacked a military convoy in the southeastern part of the country, killing three soldiers and wounding several others.

The convoy was traveling in Van province Monday when militants belonging to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, opened fire.

Fighting between rebels and the Turkish military has intensified in recent weeks. A battle in July killed 13 Turkish soldiers and seven PKK militants. A total of 20 Turkish soldiers and 10 rebels have died in fighting in the last two weeks.

Since calling off a cease-fire in February, the PKK has adopted what it calls an “active defense” stance, which allows its fighters to defend themselves if they feel threatened.

The jailed leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, sent word through his lawyers last month that he had agreed with Turkish officials to set up a “peace council” aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the 27-year-old conflict.

PKK rebels have been waging a campaign for autonomy in the largely Kurdish southeast. The conflict has killed about 40,000 people since 1984.