ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — At least two Turkish soldiers were killed and seven others were wounded on Monday while attempting to defuse an improvised explosive device, officials said.

The device exploded in a village near the town of Idil, in the mainly-Kurdish populated Sirnak province, according to a statement from the regional governor's office. It said the explosive device was planted by militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

The statement didn't provide further details but said Turkey's operations to combat the PKK were continuing with "determination."

There was no word on the wounded soldiers' conditions.

The PKK, which is considered a terror organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has been waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since then.

In October, Turkey invaded areas of northeast Syria in a bid to drive Syrian Kurdish fighters away from its border. Turkey says the Syrian Kurdish fighters are linked to the PKK and has been infuriated by Western nations' support to the militia.