Turkish minister's Kirkuk visit infuriates Iraq

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17. Turkey: 20 dead in clashes with Kurdish rebels

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Kurdish rebels raided three military posts in simultaneous attacks near the border with Iraq early on Sunday, sparking a clash at one paramilitary outpost that left six soldiers and 14 rebels dead, officials and news reports said. Two government-paid village guards assisting the Turkish military were also killed.

The rebels fired on military posts in Hakkari province that border Iraq, including the paramilitary station near the village of Gecimli, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the frontier, according to a statement from the Hakkari governor's office.

Gov. Orhan Alimoglu said the attack near Gecimli triggered clashes that claimed the lives of 22 rebels, soldiers and village guards. At least 15 soldiers, another village guard and five civilians were also injured in the attack. There were no reports of any casualties in the attacks on the other posts.

The attack comes some six weeks after a similar raid on a military unit, also in Hakkari province, killed 18 rebels and eight soldiers, prompting Turkey's military to send warplanes and attack helicopters to hit Kurdish rebel targets inside Iraq.

http://www.chron.com/news/article/Turkey-20-dead-in-clashes-with-Kurdish-rebels-3763865.php