Rights group: 162 civilians have died in Turkey conflict

ANKARA, Turkey – A Turkish human rights group says as many as 162 civilians have died since August, caught up in the increased fighting between government forces and Kurdish rebels in urban districts.

The Turkish Human Rights Foundation said late Saturday that 32 children, 29 women and 24 elderly people were among civilians killed in districts where authorities have imposed 24-hour curfews as they battle militants linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

The security forces have launched large-scale operations in areas where the militants have mounted barricades, dug trenches and set up explosives to keep authorities away. Turkish authorities say 426 militants have died in ongoing operations in the towns of Cizre and Silopi and Diyarbakir's Sur neighborhood.

The conflict against the PKK resumed in July, shattering a two-year-old peace process.