Turkey launches operation against PKK

ANKARA [MENL] -- Turkey has ordered a major military operation against Kurdish insurgents near the Iraqi border.

Officials said Turkey's Gendarmerie Command has launched an operation against the Kurdish Workers Party. They said the counter-insurgency mission was taking place in Tunceli, a rural area near the Iraqi and Syrian borders.

"This is a major operation against what we detect is a large concentration of terrorists," a Turkish security source said.

Officials said the Gendarmerie Command has deployed more than 1,000 troops in the offensive against the PKK. They said the ground force was supported by combat helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.