Kurdish Rebels Kill 13 Turkish Soldiers

The New York Times reports:

Kurdish rebels fighting for autonomy in southeastern Turkey ambushed a group of soldiers near Diyarbakir on Thursday, killing 13 and wounding 7, the Turkish military said on its Web site.

The attack, one of the deadliest on Turkish forces in recent years, was denounced by political leaders across the country. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey had the strength and determination to defeat terrorists and would do so “without ever compromising on democracy, law and brotherhood.”

In the ambush, which was mounted in a predominantly Kurdish rural area, the rebels used small arms and hand grenades, which started a fire, the military said. Seven insurgents were also killed in the fighting, the Turkish military said.