Turkey says it kills 16 rebels

[root at newsdesk.aps.nl]

From: newsdesk at newsdesk.aps.nl (Newsdesk Amsterdam)
Subject: Re: Turkey says it kills 16 rebels in Iraq clash
Reply-To: root at newsdesk.aps.nl

-------------- Forwarded from : nytmx at mit.xs4all.nl (NY Transfer) --------------


Turkey says it kills 16 rebels in Iraq clash

    ANKARA, March 27 (Reuter) - Turkish airborne troops
parachuted into a Kurdish rebel position, killing at least 16
guerrillas as part of a week-old incursion into northern Iraq,
Anatolian news agency said on Monday.
    ``Sixteen bodies have been recovered in the region until
now. The search is continuing,'' the agency said in its report
on the clash with rebels in the mountainous Khwakurk district
near the Iranian border.
    It was not immediately clear when the clash took place.
There was no independent confirmation of it.
    Earlier, a Turkish military spokesman said 172 rebels had
been killed for the loss of 17 soldiers in the operation that
began on March 20. The rebels put their own death toll late last
week at up to 13 against 178 troops killed.
    Turkish security sources had said rebels were taking on
troops in Khwakurk and a large number of guerrillas were holed
up in almost inaccessible caves and other hideouts.
    After an initial clash with a group of 40 to 50 rebels of
the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels, airborne troops
parachuted in and surrounded them, the news agency said.
    ``All of their escape points were cut off and they couldn't
save themselves,'' it quoted a high-ranking military official as
saying.
    Turkey launched the operation, sending 35,000 soldiers into
northern Iraq, to try to smash bases of the rebels fighting for
a homeland in southeast Turkey.
 REUTER
Reut13:33 03-27

Reuter N:Copyright 1995, Reuters News Service