10,000 Turkish purge south-east, killing 110 PKK fighters

The Turkish authorities have confirmed that some 10,000 troops were used over the weekend to purge the country's south-east of PKK fighters, with sources talking of at least 110 PKK deaths at this stage. Turkish ground troops, supported by tanks, entered three key cities (Cizre, Silopi and Diyarbakir) following the build up, which started last Wednesday, when all three centres were put under curfew. While Turkish planes continued their bombing of Kurdish sites inside Northern Iraq, Turkey's position is becoming increasingly isolated, as both the US and Russia now backing the Syrian YPG Kurdish militia in their fight against ISIS in Northern Syria.

Diyarbakir, Turkey: Turkish security forces said they had killed 110 Kurdish militants in operations continuing across the country's south-east border with Syria and Iraq. The armed clashes persisted during an intensification of a six-day operation.

Protests in support of Kurdish fighters erupted in Istanbul and in Diyarbakir, the biggest city in the country's south-east, with hundreds demonstrating against the military operations. Police fired tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse the crowds.

A masked man throws a petrol bomb toward police using water cannon and teargas to disperse people protesting against security operations against Kurdish rebels in southeastern Turkey, in Istanbul. Credit: AP

Most of the fighting took place in Cizre and Silopi, towns near the Iraqi and Syrian borders that have been under curfew for almost a week. Nusaybin and Dargecit in the border province of Mardin and the historical Sur district of Diyarbakir have also seen fierce battles.

Although rooted in the countryside, militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have shifted focus in recent years to towns and cities in the southeast, digging trenches and setting up barricades in streets to keep security forces away.