Turkey fights off PKK attack on outpost

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GECIMLI, Turkey, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- An overnight attack on a Turkish military outpost by Kurdish rebels was repulsed with casualties on both sides, officials said.

Six soldiers and two village security guards died along with 12 guerrillas from the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in the clash in Hakkari province, the provincial governor's office said.

The governor's office said in a written statement the raid took place in the village of Gecimli and government forces were in pursuit of the retreating PKK fighters Sunday.

The Hurriyet Daily News said the attack began when a female suicide bomber set off an explosion in front of the outpost, wounding the sentries at the gate. A large number of fighters then charged the position with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.

A turning point in the attack came when Turkish forces intercepted a truck carrying PKK reinforcements heading to the scene.

The attack came in the midst of a Turkish offensive against the PKK that began last week and, according to the government, has resulted in dozens of PKK casualties and the destruction of supplies and ammunition.