ISTANBUL, Turkey, July 17, SPA -- Two soldiers were killed in a clash with Kurdish rebels in Turkey's southeastern province of Sirnak, local officials said Tuesday. The fighting erupted late Monday as Turkish troops were combing a rugged area near the border with Iraq, astatement from the governor's office said. It was not clear when the two soldiers were killed, the Associated Press reported. Turkey has been battling the rebels of the KurdistanWorkers' Party, or PKK since 1984. There has been a recent surge in rebel attacks.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/468125