Three PKK militants killed in eastern Turkey

Turkish troops killed three PKK militants in a clash on Tuesday in central Turkey, military officials said.

The killings marked the first serious incident since Sunday's parliamentary election.

Several hundred troops, backed by helicopters, launched an operation against a group of up to 10 PKK militants early on Tuesday in Sivas province, far from the usual area of conflict in the mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey, the officials said.

They said the PKK group was believed to have been on its way from the eastern province of Tunceli to the northern Black Sea region when they were detected in Sivas' Imranli district.

Military operations were continuing in the area.

In statements issued through lawyers who pay weekly visits to his prison cell on Imrali island south of Istanbul, Ocalan has said previous agreements had been broken.

He has not yet commented on the election outcome, which resulted in 36 Kurdish-backed candidates entering parliament, compared with a group of 22 deputies in the previous assembly.


/World Bulletin/