Turkish airstrikes target Kurdish rebels

The Turkish military bombed Kurdish rebel targets on Saturday in northern Iraq in response to clashes that left at least 15 Turkish troops dead in the Turkey-Iraq border region, the PKK and the military said Sunday.

The PKK said its rebel forces sustained no casualties in the military bombings Saturday, either.

The Turkish military said Saturday's air operation targeted the PKK's "hiding positions" in the Avasin-Basyan area of northern Iraq near the border with Turkey. Care was taken to avoid civilian casualties, the Turkish military said.

At least 15 Turkish soldiers were killed and 20 wounded in clashes in the southeastern Turkish town of in Semdinli that began Friday and ended Saturday. The PKK put the figure much higher, saying 60 Turkish troops were killed.

PKK said nine of its forces were killed in the fighting, but Turkey's military said 23 PKK members died in the clashes.

Two Turkish troops are still missing after the weekend fighting, and the Turkish military said Sunday they were feared dead.