14 Killed in clashes, helicopter crash in southeast Turkey

Eight Turkish soldiers and six members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) were killed Friday in clashes in the largely Kurdish region of southeast Turkey, a Turkish military statement said.

Six soldiers were killed and eight were wounded when clashes broke out with rebels in Hakkari province on Friday. A military helicopter sent to the area later crashed due to a technical fault.

The General Chief of Staff released a written statement on the incidents, announcing that both pilots of the helicopter had died in the crash, Turkish Daily news reported.

An air-borne operation was launched to apprehend the militants, the statement said, adding that six PKK militants have been killed so far, Turkish Weekly reported.

The late-night explosion occurred hours after at least seven people were injured in a car-bomb attack near a military facility in a suburb of the capital, Istanbul.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the car-bomb attack, VOA reported.