Ankara, Jun 21 (AP) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has again asserted that Turkish jets have dealt a heavy blow on the outlawed Kurdish rebels' leadership in Iraq, saying some 35 high-level militants were killed.

Addressing crowds during a campaign rally on Thursday, Erdogan said Turkish warplanes recently struck Iraq's Qandil mountain while a group of 35 senior militants were holding a meeting. He did not provide details.

Qandil, near Iraq's border with Iran, is where the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, maintains its headquarters.

Erdogan said: "We caught them during their leaders' meeting. During this leaders' meeting, we finished off 35 important names."

In Iraq, a PKK spokesman, Serhet Varto, confirmed heavy Turkish airstrikes in the area but denied they had caused any casualties.

The claims could not be in verified independently. (AP) MRJ

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)