PKK terrorists detonated an explosive device on a road in southeast Turkey, leaving at least seven soldiers martyred on Thursday, officials said. Two other soldiers were wounded in the attack.
The explosion occurred on a road near the town of Gercüş in the province of Batman. The soldiers, who were inside an armored military vehicle, were on their way to protect a construction site in the region, said Numan Kurtulmus, a deputy chairman of Turkey's ruling party.
Earlier, the state-run Anadolu agency said they were traveling to carry out operations against the bloody terrorist group.
Four of the soldiers were martyred at the site while three others died of their wounds while hospitalized.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the attack and said Turkey wouldn't be deterred from its fight against the PKK terrorists.
"The blood of our martyrs and our veterans will be avenged. We want them to know that this incident intensifies our anger and our hatred," Erdoğan said in statement.
Two wounded soldiers are under treatment, the source added.
A wide-scale operation is ongoing in the area to nab the terrorists.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including women and children.
