ANKARA, July 15 (Xinhua) -- A total of 22 rebels of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in the operations staged by the Turkish security forces in southeastern Turkey in the past four days, a Turkish military statement said on Tuesday.

    The PKK rebels, including a leading member, had been neutralized during security operations in Incebel mountainous region in the southeastern province of Sirnak from July 11 to 14, Turkey's General Staff said in a statement posted in its website.

    The statement also stated that hide-outs of terrorists in the region were destroyed, and their weapons and ammunition were seized.

    Security forces returned safely to their bases after the operations were completed, added the statement.

    The PKK rebels have battled more than two decades for autonomy in southeastern Turkey and they use strongholds in northern Iraq for cross-border raids. About 40,000 people have been killed in the over-two-decade conflict.