Turkey mourns 24 slain soldiers

ANKARA, Turkey—State-run television says Turkish warplanes and helicopter gunships have attacked Kurdish rebels on the second day of an air and ground offensive against Kurdish rebels across the Iraqi border to avenge the deaths of 24 soldiers.

Turkey launched a cross-border offensive against Kurdish rebels after they staged simultaneous attacks on military and police targets along the border Wednesday.

Military and civilian leaders are preparing to attend a solemn funeral for the slain soldiers in the eastern city of Van on Thursday.

The killings have outraged many in Turkey and fueled nationalist sentiment. High school students, carrying huge Turkish flags, chanted anti-Kurdish rebel slogans as they marched to school in Ankara.