A medical helicopter, from the US-led coalition, flies over the site of Turkish airstrikes near northeastern Syrian Kurdish town of Derik, known as al-Malikiyah in Arabic, on April 25, 2017. Turkish warplanes killed more than 20 Kurdish fighters in strikes in Syria and Iraq, where the Kurds are key players in the battle against the Islamic State group. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

ANKARA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish military launched airstrike on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq on early Sunday, killing 13 PKK militants, the military said in a statement.

The warplanes struck seven PKK targets in Avasin-Basyan region of northern Iraq, killing at least 13 militants believed to be preparing for an attack, the statement said.

The airstrike also destroyed two caves, two blockhouses, two weapon pits and a shelter used by the PKK, the statement added.

Earlier in a separate airstrike in Turkey's eastern Van province on Saturday night, 10 PKK militants were killed, three weapons depots and a hideout were destroyed.

The PKK, which founded in 1978 and resumed armed campaign in southeast Turkey since July 2015, has camps in the mountains of northern Iraq, near the Turkish border. Turkey, the United States and the Europe Union list the PKK as terrorist organization.

According to data from local media, over 600 Turkish security personnel, including troops, police officers and village guards, have died in PKK attacks, while more than 7,000 PKK members have been killed during operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.