2 soldiers killed in clash with PKK militants in northern Iraq

MOSUL, Iraq, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A clash in northern Iraq killed two Iraqi soldiers and wounded five Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants on Sunday, the Iraqi military said.

A soldier asked the force of Turkish PKK militants to show their pass permission at a checkpoint before the PKK vehicles ran over the soldier, sparking a clash that killed two soldiers and wounded five PKK militants, according to a statement by media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC).

Earlier, a security source put the death toll at three PKK militants and a soldier, while saying the PKK militants were conducting smuggling activities in the area.

Turkish forces frequently carry out ground operations, airstrikes and artillery bombardments against the positions of the outlawed PKK militants in northern Iraq, especially the Qandil Mountains, main base of the PKK.

The PKK, which has been engaged in a separatist war against Turkey since 1984, is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.