ANKARA

Three Turkish soldiers were martyred and seven injured on Sunday during Operation Claw 3 in northern Iraq, Turkish National Defense Ministry said in a statement.  

The ministry said that the casualties occurred during clashes with PKK terrorists.

Injured soldiers were admitted to a hospital, the statement said. 

The operations in the region are ongoing, it added.

Turkish security forces launched Friday Operation Claw 3 in Sinat-Haftanin region in northern Iraq, according to a statement from the Turkish National Defense Ministry on Saturday.

The operation was launched to facilitate border security, neutralize terrorists, destroy caves and shelters in Sinat-Haftanin in northern Iraq, according to the statement.

On May 27, Turkey launched Operation Claw against the PKK in the Hakurk region of northern Iraq. The ongoing offensive has neutralized dozens of terrorists so far.

PKK terrorists often use northern Iraq as a base to plan cross-border terrorist attacks on Turkey.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.