Thirteen dead in armed clashes in southeast Turkey

Fighting in the southeast, scene of a decades-long conflict between the powerful Turkish army and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rebels demanding independence, has claimed more than 30,000 lives but has largely subsided since the 1999 capture of rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.
"One soldier has died, five are injured and 12 PKK rebels are dead. The operation is continuing with helicopter support and Turkish commando units," the security official told Reuters.
The battle began on Thursday and was being fought in wooded, mountainous terrain near the town of Lice in Diyarbakir province, the official said.
The PKK, which also goes by the name of KADEK, launched an armed campaign for an ethic homeland in 1984. Most of the PKK have withdrawn to northern Iraq, which is run by Iraqi Kurds beyond Baghdad’s control.