15 Turkish soldiers killed along border with Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) - Fifteen Turkish soldiers were killed in an overnight clash with PKK rebels in southeastern Turkey along the country's border with Iraq, President Abdullah Gul said.

Two others were missing and 20 were wounded, two of them seriously, the Turkish military said.

Most of the casualties in the attack, which was launched from northern Iraq, were caused by heavy arms fire, the military said.

The attack comes prior to Tuesday's scheduled vote by the Turkish government that would extend the authority of Turkish military to launch attacks on PKK positions in northern Iraq.