Turkish security forces killed seven Kurdish rebels in a firefight in southeastern Turkey, the Anatolia news agency said Wednesday. The clash took place in the province of Van, near the Iranian border, Anatolia said. Turkish forces have been conducting operations in a triangle of southeastern provinces that includes Van, Hakkari and Sirnak, and have killed more than 50 rebels since May. More than 30 Turkish soldiers have also been killed in the fighting, many of them from bombings and land mine incidents. The seven rebels were said to be members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. More than 37,000 people have died in clashes between the Turkish military and the PKK since 1984, The Associated Press reported.
