12 PKK terrorists killed in southeastern Turkey

In ongoing counter-terror operations in southeastern Cizre district of Şırnak province, the Turkish military killed 12 more terrorists of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement on Friday.

Cizre, along with some other districts in the southeastern region of Turkey, has been placed under curfew since last month to sweep roadside mines, close ditches and remove barricades placed by the terrorists.

Operations were conducted by a joint force consisted of 10,000 security personnel from the Turkish military and police.

According to officials, more than 240 terrorists have been killed in last month's operation as the total number of PKK militants killed last year passed 3,000.

The PKK, which is considered a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, including the United States and the European Union, has been carrying out terror attacks, mostly in southeastern Turkey, since early 1980s.

The PKK's three-decade-old insurgency flared up again in July after the collapse of a two-year ceasefire, leaving the peace process in tatters and plunging the southeast back into conflict.

Since then, Turkey has been fighting against PKK determinedly to rescue the cities from militants by declaring curfews and launching operations in the region.