PKK kills Turkish soldier, abducts 11 customs officials: Army

Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants on Sunday killed a Turkish soldier in an attack in eastern Turkey as it held a dozen customs officials hostage, the army said.

Eleven customs officials and their driver have been missing for two days after vanishing in the Van region of eastern Turkey on the border with Iran.

There had been uncertainty over their fate but the army confirmed Sunday they had been abducted at the Kapikoy border crossing with Iran by the PKK.

The PKK has been designated a terrorist organization by Ankara, the US, the EU, and a number of other countries.

Abductions by the PKK are relatively common and usually end peacefully. But there were no further details over the situation of the customs officials.

In a separate incident, one soldier was killed and three others wounded in clashes with PKK militants in the southeastern Diyarbakir region, the army said.

The clashes erupted just after dawn when PKK militants attacked a detachment of soldiers guarding a hydro-electric dam with rockets and long-range gunfire in the Kulp district of Diyarbakir.

"In the resulting clashes... one brave soldier was killed and three wounded," it said, adding a ground and air operation was now in progress to "neutralise" the militants behind the attack.

The PKK has been staging daily attacks against the Turkish armed forces as the military keeps up air raids and military operations against its strongholds in southeast Turkey as well as northern Iraq.

According to figures published on Saturday by the state-run Anatolia news agency before the latest incidents, 812 PKK militants have been killed in the campaign while 56 members of the Turkish security forces have lost their lives.

It is not possible to independently verify the death toll for PKK militants. Turkish officials have vehemently denied claims that civilians have also been targeted.

Video footage shows PKK attacks in southeastern Turkey

Meanwhile, the Turkish Anadolu Agency on Sunday broadcast security footage recorded by a police helicopter in southeastern Diyarbakir province, showing how suspected PKK militants carry out attacks on security officials.

The videos were provided by security sources and were captured by thermal cameras. They show attackers hiding in street corners as they launch rocket and gun attacks on police personnel.

It also shows how around 15 suspected militants confiscated cars belonging to civilians and used them to block streets; some could also be seen trying to dig holes on roads.

The footage also showed PKK militants shooting indiscriminately at police officers when fleeing from an area.

Another footage showed how Turkish police took down a sniper who had been harassing security officials.

According to authorities, the footage was recorded "two days back" in the province.