Turkey: 23 Kurdish rebels killed in the southeast

ISTANBUL (AP) - The Turkish military says 23 Kurdish rebels have been killed in security operations in the country's primarily Kurdish southeast region.

Security forces say Wednesday they killed 14 "terrorists" - a military reference to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party - in Mardin province on Tuesday, five in Sirnak and four in Hakkari. The army said a total of 347 militants have been killed in those three regions since the start of security operations in July.

More than 5,300 Kurdish rebels have been killed or captured since hostilities resumed in July, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The conflict has also claimed the lives of a least 355 security force members and scores of civilians.

Since July, government forces have launched major offensives against Kurdish rebels in southeast urban areas.