ANKARA, Turkey, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- More than a dozen Turkish soldiers were injured Thursday in PKK attack in Hakkari province, the site of last week's deadly raid, authorities said.
Local authorities blamed the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, for an explosion that caused a bus carrying Turkish soldiers to roll over in Hakkari province, Turkish daily newspaper Today's Zaman reports. It was unknown how serious injuries suffered by those on board were.
The PKK was blamed for killing eight Turkish soldiers and a village guard in an ambush last week in Hakkari. The Turkish government claimed it killed hundreds of militants in attacks on PKK targets on the Iraqi side of the Turkish border, a move met with strong criticism from Kurdish leaders there.
The PKK has been blamed for the deaths of more than 20 soldiers in recent weeks. The Iranian military has placed troops near the border with Iraq to fight PKK affiliates in the Party for Free Life of Kurdistan, or PJAK.
Turkish authorities also blamed the PKK for setting forest fires in the west of the country.
Washington admitted to sharing intelligence about PKK activity inside Iraq. The U.S. government said it recognized Turkey's right to defend itself but urged it to exercise caution.
