Turkish soldier, PKK militants killed in clashes

A Turkish soldier and two Kurdish militants were killed while a soldier was injured during fierce clashes between government forces and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) elements in southeast of the country, the general chief of staff command said Tuesday. Clashes took place in Mardin province and large numbers of special forces were dispatched to the area to pursue PKK militants, NTV quoted sources in the command as saying. They said the injured soldier was rushed to hospital while the government forces killed two militants. More than 45,000 people were killed since PKK began armed assaults against Turkish government targets in 1984 with the aim of establishing a Kurdish state in southeast Turkey.