Four Turkey soldiers killed in clash with militants in Iraq

Four Turkish soldiers were killed in a clash with militants in northern Iraq, Turkey's defence ministry said late on Sunday.

The ministry said the incident took place in a region where Turkey was carrying out a cross-border operation.

Turkey regularly carries out airstrikes and other military efforts in neighbouring Iraq as part of its offensive against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants based there.

The PKK launched an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

It is regarded as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Late last month, Turkey said it had "neutralised" nine PKK members in northern Iraq.

(Reuters)