Turkish jets hit PKK targets after deadly militant attackSeptember 7, 2015 - 10:56 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey's military said on Monday, September 7, its warplanes bombarded Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets overnight after the militants staged a deadly attack in which, one security source told Reuters, 16 Turkish soldiers were killed, the news agency reports. The PKK said it had killed 15 troops in Sunday's attack on an armed convoy in the Daglica area of Hakkari province, near the Iraqi border, in what would be the bloodiest assault since the collapse of a ceasefire in July. "Two of our armored vehicles suffered heavy damage after the detonation of hand-made explosives on the road. As a result of the blast, there were martyrs and wounded among our heroic armed comrades," the PKK said, without specifying a death toll. Two F-16 and two F-14 jets had struck 13 PKK targets and military operations were continuing "decisively" despite very poor weather, it said, according to Reuters. The clashes mark a crescendo in a stream of deadly attacks since July, which officials said had already claimed the lives of more than 70 members of the security services and hundreds of PKK militants. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |