Turkish troops have killed 49 Kurdish militants in the south-east of the country over the last two days, the military said on Saturday, in an offensive to avenge the deaths of 24 soldiers this week. The militants were killed in Cukurca Kazan valley, in Hakkari province, the armed forces said on its web site, adding that operations on either side of the border with Iraq were continuing, supported by air strikes.
Turkey's leaders have vowed revenge after one of the worst losses of life suffered by the army since the separatist insurgency began in 1984, when PKK guerrillas mounted a series of deadly night-time raids on army outposts in the mountainous south-east on Wednesday. Ankara's reaction has ignited speculation that Turkey could move to a full blown incursion to clear out PKK camps deeper inside northern Iraq. Earlier on Saturday state-run TRT television reported a total of 53 Kurdish militants have been killed so far in the operation, without citing a source.
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