ANKARA, Turkey, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Turkish officials expressed regret over airstrikes along the southern border that left 35 villagers dead in a raid that targeted Kurdish rebels.
Huseyin Celik, deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party, said those killed in the airstrikes this week were cigarette smugglers, not militants with the Kurdistan Workers' Party.
He said the attack followed information collected with surveillance drones that indicated Kurdish militant activity in the area. Celik said the government was investigating the incident, adding Ankara was saddened by the loss of life, Turkey's daily newspaper Today's Zaman reports.
Leaders from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party described the attack as a "massacre," equating Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the Syrian president.
Kurdish groups note that villagers living along the southern border with Iraq rely on smuggling for much of their income.
Celik added that intelligence errors were likely behind the attack, noting the government wouldn't coverup any wrongdoings.
The military expressed condolences for those killed in the attack.
"We wish God's mercy upon our citizens who lost their lives in the incident that took place on the night of Dec. 28, 2011, and we also convey our condolences to their families," the statement read.
