8 Turkish soldiers killed in roadside mine blast

Eight Turkish soldiers were killed and nine others were injured on Wednesday when a roadside mine believed to have been planted by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers'' Party (PKK) exploded as a military vehicle passed over it in Turkey''s southeastern province of Hakkari, initial reports said. The explosion reportedly took place on the 15th kilometer of the Hakkari-Cukurca Highway. One soldier was announced to have died initially and the death toll increased to eight when seven soldiers who were injured in the blast also died, Turkish (Today''s Zaman) reported. The PKK has killed more than 20 Turkish soldiers in intensified attacks over the past two weeks in its campaign for autonomy in southeastern Turkey. The attacks came after the government unveiled a plan in late July to deploy elite police squads in the fight against terrorism and slowly handed more power to police in domestic security matters, which could also undercut the traditional role of the armed forces. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also recently announced that Turkey will adopt new measures in the fight against the PKK.