Turkish strikes 'kill 19 rebels'

Turkey's military says it has killed at least 19 Kurdish rebels in air strikes in the south-east.

The raids took place in Hakkari province, which borders Iraq and Iran.

The military says it bombed positions of the PKK rebel group in response to an attack in the area in which two of its soldiers were killed on Friday.

The PKK, which is seeking autonomy for Kurds in south-eastern Turkey, is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and EU.

More than 30,000 people have been killed since the group began its armed campaign in 1984.

Turkey has launched a number of attacks against alleged PKK bases in recent months, several of them across the border in Iraq.

Turkey has accused Iraq of failing to stop the rebels using its territory as a safe haven.

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