5 PKK militants killed in Turkey's southeast
ANKARA - Agence France-Presse
![5 PKK militants killed in Turkeys southeast](http://image.hurimg.com/i/hurriyet/75/0x0/59c6fd8e45d2a027e839f7fa.jpg)
Turkish Armed Forces photo
Five militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party were killed today in a clash with Turkish security forces in the southeastern Bitlis province.The five militants, two of them women, were killed in Tatvan district in Bitlis, a day after a similar clash in neighboring Siirt province left two militants dead.
Fighting usually escalates in spring as snow melts along the mountainous Iraqi-Turkish border, enabling PKK militants holed up in rough terrain to launch attacks more easily.
The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.