PKK Claims Deadly Attacks on Turkish Troops

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said it carried out attacks that killed 24 Turkish soldiers in retaliation for losses in Turkish air strikes on PKK bases in Iraq, a Kurdish news agency reported.

The attacks were also in response to the arrest of hundreds of Kurdish politicians in urban Turkey, Firatnews quoted the PKK as saying Wednesday.

"Our revolutionary operation ... prevented the attempt of the Turkish army and state at a cross border operation" into Iraq, the PKK said.

The PKK launched the attacks after "friends were killed in air strikes primarily in Khowakirk and ... a political genocide operation against Kurdish people was initiated," it said.

Five rebels were killed in Hakkari assault, PKK said.

Kurdish rebels killed at least 24 soldiers Wednesday in simultaneous attacks in Hakkari near the Iraqi border, marking one of the deadliest days for the army in the 27-year battle against the separatists.

Turkey hit back with new cross-border air strikes on rebel bases and sent troops into neighboring Iraq.

The attacks on the Turkish troops occurred in eight locations in Cukurca and Yuksekova in the early hours of Wednesday, local security sources said.

Hundreds of Kurdish politicians including their elected mayors and officials were arrested in recent police operations around Turkey over suspected links to Kurdish rebels.

The pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, whose five parliamentarians are also in jail for the same charges, said almost 4,000 of its members were arrested since 2009, while the interior ministry denies the information.

Almost 500 people were arrested over suspected links with rebels, the ministry said.