Three soldiers, 28 Kurdish militants killed in Turkish southeast

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — Three soldiers and 28 Kurdish militants have been killed in air strikes and clashes over the past two days in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast, the military said on Saturday, two weeks before an election.

The soldiers were killed in clashes with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in Daglica, in the province of Hakkari, where six others were wounded. The military said it had killed 17 PKK members in a ground operation, which it said was still continuing, to flush out the attackers.

"One of the soldiers martyred in Daglica is the battalion commander. Operations are continuing," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters during a trip to northern Cyprus.

"Operations will continue until peace is attained. It is the job of the state to protect its citizens and the country."

Security sources said the operation around Daglica included special forces units and air support.

Turkish air strikes against PKK bases in Hakkari, close to the borders with Iran and Iraq, killed 11 suspected militants on Friday and destroyed weapons depots and shelters, the military said in an earlier statement on Saturday.

The violence persists despite a PKK call a week ago ordering its forces to halt all actions in Turkey unless attacked.