Soldier, policeman martyred in Turkish curfew district

A soldier and a police officer have been martyred during a counter-terrorism operation in southeastern Turkey.

The deaths happened in the Sur district of southeastern Diyarbakır province; the area has been under curfew since Dec. 2.

According to provincial security sources, the fatalities occurred Sunday afternoon when PKK terrorists opened fire on security forces as they were conducting anti-terror efforts in six neighborhoods of Sur.

Four soldiers and one police officer were severely wounded in the clash and were transferred to Diyarbakır Military Hospital.

One of the injured soldiers and a police officer succumbed to their wounds in hospital.

Three soldiers are still receiving medical treatment.

According to the Turkish General Staff's latest figures announced on Sunday, four terrorists were killed in Diyarbakır's Sur district, bringing the total number of terrorists killed in the area so far to 74.

The Turkish military says the overall death toll of PKK terrorists in Turkey's southeast since Dec. 15 is 448.

In a statement on Sunday, the Turkish General Staff announced 20 more terrorist casualties on Saturday in southeastern Diyarbakir and Sirnak provinces where army operations continue amid curfews.

The military stated that 13 of Saturday's death toll were from Şırnak's Cizre district, which brought the total number of PKK terrorists killed in the area to 252.

During the operation in Cizre, Turkish security forces also removed four barricades, disposed of 15 handmade explosives and confiscated one Kalashnikov.

Several shotguns and an amount of ammunition were also seized.

Saturday's operation in the Silopi district of Sirnak saw three terrorist deaths and the disposal of 20 handmade explosives.

Firearms, a rocket launcher, gas masks and other equipment were recovered.

The terrorist death toll in Silopi has increased to 122.

Four terrorists were killed in Diyarbakir's Sur district, under curfew since Dec. 2. Ongoing operations have left 74 terrorists dead in the district so far.

Meanwhile, two PKK terrorists were captured in southeastern Şanlıurfa province on the Syrian border while trying to cross from into Turkey.

Last month, the Turkish president said more than 3,100 PKK terrorists had been killed in Turkey and northern Iraq. Around 300 soldiers, police and civilians have lost their lives since the conflict reignited in late July 2015, according to officials.