Turkish warplanes hit PKK rebels in Turkey’s Kurdish southeast

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkish warplanes pounded Kurdistan Workers’ Party rebels in the country’s Kurdish southeast in overnight attacks, the military said Tuesday, the latest in an escalating conflict between Ankara and the PKK in which at least 48 people have been killed so far.

The military said in a statement that jets hit 17 PKK targets overnight near the Buzul mountain and Ikiyaka in Hakkari province, near the Iranian and Iraqi borders.

The latest air raids followed a day of violence in which nine people were killed, including five police offers in separate attacks in Istanbul and in southeastern Sirnak province, which the government blamed on the PKK.

Also Tuesday, Kurdish rebels attacked an infantry position near Sirnak, killing one soldier.

Tensions in Turkey escalated after the PKK claimed responsibility for assassinating two policemen in Gaziantep last month, ending a shaky peace process with Ankara that began in 2013.

More than a fortnight ago, Turkish air force jets and artillery began a hail of attacks against the PKK, including airstrikes and artillery fire on PKK camps in the Kurdistan Region’s Qandil Mountains.

The airstrikes coincided with nationwide raids inside Turkey and serious confrontations between Kurdish activists and the Turkish police.

The PKK’s jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, has reportedly called on his group and the Turkish government to end ongoing clashes and resume negotiations, which were planned to lead to permanent peace in the country.