Turkey's military says it has eliminated most of a 21-member Kurdish rebel group trying to enter Turkey from northern Iraq.

The military said on its web site Tuesday that it opened fire Monday on the rebels about three kilometers inside Iraq. It said most of the fighters were neutralized, which is usually the military's way of saying they were killed.

Saturday, Turkish authorities blamed Kurdish rebels for a bomb attack that damaged a cargo train in southeast Turkey.

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, has not commented on the allegations.

Five-thousand specially trained Turkish troops are carrying out a regional security sweep against the PKK.  Tanks and air force support are backing up the soldiers.

The PKK has been fighting for autonomy in southeastern Turkey for nearly 25 years.  The violence has killed more than 30,000 people.

The United States, Turkey and other countries classify the PKK as a terrorist group.

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.