Officials say Turkish air strikes have killed nearly two dozen people near the Iraqi border.

Authorities said early Thursday that at least 23 bodies have been recovered in Sirnak province.

Local security officials say those targeted were likely smuggling items into Turkey from northern Iraq and may have been mistaken for Kurdistan Workers Party rebels.

The pro-Kurdish Firat news agency said 35 civilians were killed in the airstrikes.

The Turkish government was not immediately available for comment.

Last Monday, Turkish news agencies say Turkish troops killed as many as 20 Kurdish rebels in a military strike in the southeast.

The Kurdistan Workers Party has waged a nearly 20-year fight for more Kurdish autonomy in Turkey. The fighting has killed tens of thousands.

Turkey, the European Union and the United States regard the PKK as a terrorist group.