4 soldiers killed in Turkey; 3 of them in friendly fire

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkish officials say four soldiers have been killed in violence in southeastern Turkey where troops are battling Kurdish rebels — three of them as a result of a friendly fire. Several soldiers were injured.

The governor’s office for Adiyaman province says one of the soldiers died when the rebels detonated a roadside bomb as a military vehicle passed by.

Another group of soldiers arrived at the scene inside a civilian vehicle to help evacuate injured comrades. However, they were shot at by another military unit who mistook them for Kurdish rebels, the governor’s office said.

The three-decade-long conflict between government troops and the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, has killed tens of thousands of people.

The group is considered a terror organization by Turkey and its allies.