Turkey retaliates over attack by Kurdish rebels

07/10/2008 13:47:20

Turkey has responded to an attack on its troops by Kurdish rebels by bombing bases in northern Iraq.

Our Middle East correspondent, Ben Knight, reports this has been the heaviest fighting between Turkey and the PKK rebels since February.

Turkey says 17 of its soldiers wer killed on Friday when Kurdish rebels attacked a Turkish base.

On Monday, it responded with a series of bomb attacks on PKK bases in northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey.

For its part, the Kurdish rebel group says it sustained no casualties in the attacks.

A Turkish government resolution allowing its troops to launch attacks into Iraq expires in two weeks, but this renewed violence has led to urgent talks within Turkey to extend the mandate.

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