Turkey's security forces killed at least 12 members of Syria's Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) after three Turkish soldiers died in an explosion, the country's defense ministry said on Saturday, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
"After the IED (improvised explosive device) attack, in which three of our heroic comrades were martyred on the Akcakale borderline, the PKK/YPG targets were hit with our fire support vehicles, and 12 terrorists were neutralized, according to the initial findings," the ministry tweeted.
Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" to imply "terrorists" killed, wounded or captured in security operations.
The Turkish security forces continued military operations in the region, said the ministry.
Three soldiers were killed on Saturday when a bomb exploded on Turkey's border with Syria, the ministry earlier said.
They were killed by an improvised explosive device planted by "terrorists" on the "borderline" in Akcakale district of the southeastern Sanliurfa city, said the statement.