Three soldiers were killed in clashes with Kurdish separatist fighters in southern Turkey on Thursday, dpa quoted local media as reporting. The deaths occurred during an attack by fighters from the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) on a gendarmerie post in Hatay province, between the border with Syria and the Mediterranean port of Dortyol, the DHA news agency said. The Cihan news agency reported that in addition to the three soldiers killed, four PKK fighters had been "rendered inactive but did not clarify whether they had been killed or captured. The region has recently seen a number of clashes between Turkish forces and PKK insurgents believed to have entered the country from Syria, provoking fears that the PKK may be entering Turkey from Syria. Turkish officials have in recent weeks expressed concern that escalating fighting in neighbouring Syria may spill over the border and has warned Syria against supporting the PKK.
