Baby Killed in Clashes between Turkish Forces, Kurdish Rebels

W460

A three-month baby and her grandfather were killed in crossfire in clashes between Turkish security forces and Kurdish militants in the southeast, medics said on Sunday.

The family's house in the southeastern town of Cizre came under shelling on Friday night as clashes intensified between Turkish security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The baby, identified as Miray, was shot in the head, doctors said.

But the family called the ambulance when they saw Miray was breathing. Her 73-year-old grandfather Ramazan Ince was caught in the crossfire while he was carrying Miray to the ambulance, witnesses told AFP.

But it was already too late for her and her grandfather died in hospital, medics said.

The family claims that the fire came from the direction of the state hospital in Cizre, which is controlled by Turkish security forces.

Tensions are rising throughout Turkey's restive southeast, where curfew has been in place in a number of towns due to clashes.

The operations mark a new escalation in the over three decade conflict with the PKK after a fragile truce collapsed in July after just one-and-a-half years.

The army said on Saturday nearly 200 PKK militants were killed in the operations since the offensive began in mid-December.

Comments 0