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75 die in Turkish push against Kurd rebels

April 14, 1998 (by Lieven Dewitte) - Seventy-five people have been killed in a big Turkish military operation against Kurdish rebels in the mountainous southeast of the country, military officials said on Wednesday.
They said 64 Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels and 11 Turkish security force members were killed in two days of clashes around Cudi Mountain, near the Iraqi border.

Turkish F-16 fighter jets took off continually from a military base near the regional capital of Diyarbakir on bombing missions against rebel positions, witnesses said. U.S. -made Super Cobra helicopters from bases close to the area of operations in Sirnak bombarded the guerrillas, the military officials said.

Up to 20, 000 troops were involved in the wide-ranging operation along the length of Turkey's rugged border with Iraq, the officials said.