Avalanche Kills 5 Turkish Soldiers

Five Turkish soldiers are dead after an avalanche fell on them during a military operation Sunday.  

Another 12 soldiers were hurt in the avalanche that struck in the southeastern province of Bitlis.  

The local governor's office reports the injured were not in critical condition. 

That part of Turkey has been the location of decades of fighting between the Kurdistan Workers Party and Turkish security forces.  

Turkey, the U.S. and European Union consider the workers party a terrorist organization. 

Photo: Getty Images