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The attack occurred while the troops were conducting a surveillance and reconnaissance mission in the border town of , the ministry said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, however Turkish forces often come under attack by Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels who have waged a decades-long insurgency against Ankara.

The PKK is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.

The attack comes amid a renewed Turkish effort to flush out the PKK from its strongholds in northern Iraq, in an operation launched last week.

Operation "", which has drawn official protests from Baghdad, has included air raids on the mountainous region of northern Iraq and landings of Turkish troops by helicopter.

Turkey has sporadically bombed PKK bases in the region, but its dramatic escalation has prompted scores of families in the area to flee, according to local activists.


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