World Bulletin / News Desk
In a statement, the Turkish General Staff said 10 soldiers were also injured – one critically – alongside five village guards in a PKK attack at 00.20 a.m. local time (0920GMT).
The attack targeted Pay gendarmerie station in the Ercis district of Van, the military said.
Tension is high in southeastern Turkey since the PKK – listed as a extremist organization by the U.S. and the EU – resumed its 30-year armed campaign in July 2015.
Since then, nearly 600 security personnel, including troops, police officers and village guards have been martyred and more than 5,000 PKK extremists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.