The Turkish General Staff said 24 terrorists were killed and several others were wounded in clashes between terrorists and Turkish security teams in a military operation in northern Iraq on Friday.

General Staff said in a statement it is estimated that at least 20 more terrorists "were rendered ineffective" by artillery and helicopter gunships. Five Turkish soldiers died in clashes, it stated.

The statement said a group of terrorists escaped to the southern part of northern Iraq in the clash.

The operation only targeted the PKK terrorist organization, it stressed.

"Cross-border operation that was launched by Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) against terrorist organization PKK in the north of Iraq as of 7 p.m. on February 21, 2008 continues as it was planned," the statement said.

Hideouts of terrorists were shelled by artillery and armed helicopters, it added.

An earlier milityary statement warned the Turkish public and international community that media reports about the scope of the operation were misleasding and exaggerated.