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Ten Kurdish rebels killed in eastern Turkey

Türkiye Materials 4 February 2008 13:00 (UTC +04:00)

(dpa) - Ten Kurdish militants have been killed in fighting in eastern Turkey, according to a statement released by the General Staff on Monday.

The statement posted on the General Staff's website said military units in the province of Bingol on Sunday came across the group of Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) militants and called on them to surrender. In the subsequent firefight 10 PKK militants were killed.

A large amount of provisions, ammunition and PKK documents were seized after the clash.

The clash comes as Turkey continues sporadic bombing raids of suspected PKK camps in northern Iraq.

More than 32,000 people have been killed since the PKK launched its fight for independence or autonomy for the mainly Kurdish- populated south-east. Turkey claims that a recent upsurge in attacks is thanks in part to the smuggling of US weapons and explosives from Iraq into Turkey.

Both the United States and the European Union consider the PKK to be a terrorist organization.

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