Three Turkish troops killed in clashes with PKK fighters

Three Turkish troops were killed and one severely injured on Monday in clashes with Kurdish fighters affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Turkish state news agency AA reported.

The clashes took place in the context of a military operation in the mountainous Bestler Dereler area of Turkey's Kurdish-majority province of Sirnak, after a small group of PKK fighters were encircled by troops, AA said.

The military operation has been carried out with the participation of special ops units, commando units and local guards with the support of drones, helicopters and war planes.

The encircled three PKK fighters were killed in the clashes, according to AA.

The PKK had declared a truce in the wake of the 6 February earthquake in Turkey, and extended the truce in late March till after the elections on 14 May.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently claimed military control over Bestler Dereler area, as he said at his election rally in the city of Mardin on 10 May , "We've buried terror in Judi, Gabar and Bestler Dereler, haven't we?"