At least two Turkish soldiers were killed and seven others were wounded on Monday while attempting to defuse an improvised explosive device (IED), The Associated Press reported, citing officials.
The device exploded in a village near the town of Idil, in the mainly Kurdish-populated Şırnak province, according to a statement from the regional governor’s office. It said the explosive device was planted by militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The statement did not provide further details but said Turkey’s operations to combat the PKK were continuing with “determination.”
There was no word on the wounded soldiers’ condition.
The PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has been waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since then.
In October Turkey invaded areas of northeast Syria in a bid to drive Syrian Kurdish fighters away from its border. Turkey says the fighters are linked to the PKK and has been infuriated by Western nations’ support for the militia.