Deadly clashes between Turkish security forces and activists of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have left 42 people dead during the weekend, Turkish media reported citing officials.
Eight police officers were killed after PKK fighters detonated a roadside mine when a police bus with officers on board was passing through the Karliova district in the eastern province of Bingöl on Sunday.
Four Turkish soldiers died and five sustained injuries when the militants ambushed a military convoy on Saturday near the border with Iran and Iraq. At least 28 PKK separatists had been killed in fighting with security forces since Saturday, raising to 123 PKK casualties during the past ten days when Turkey launched a major Army offensive against them, the Governor's office in the south-eastern Hakkari province said.
A police team killed two terrorists in a clash in the Diyadin district of Agri province.
Turkey has been witnessing some of the heaviest fightings in recent months since the PKK took up arms in 1984 with the aim of carving out an independent Kurdish state in the country's south-east bordering Iraq. The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, hampered economic development in one of Turkey's poorest regions, adding instability in an already fragile region bordering Iran, Iraq and Syria.
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Political News
June 19, 2026 16:46 ET Major central banks continued to dominate the economic news flow this week too, led by the Federal Reserve, as they announced their latest policy decisions. The Federal Reserve policy session was in focus as it was the first to be led by the new chief Kevin Warsh. In Europe, central banks of the U.K. and Switzerland announced their rate decisions. In Asia, the Bank of Japan drew attention for its policy moves, while data out of China threw some light on the state of the economy.