Two Turkish soldiers and 34 Kurdish insurgents have been killed in a militant attack and Turkish military operations backed by air strikes, Turkish security sources said.
Southeastern Turkey has been trapped in a spiral of violence since the collapse in July of a ceasefire with the PKK, leaving efforts to find a long-term peace in tatters.
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters opened fire on troops in Sirnak province, close to Turkey's Iraq border, killing two soldiers. In a now familiar pattern, the military launched air-backed reprisal operations, killing 34 militants.
The latest clashes come as millions of Turks celebrate the festival of Eid al-Adha. More than 100 security personnel and hundreds of PKK militants have been killed since July.
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