13 PKK militants killed amid clashes in three southeastern towns

ANKARA – Doğan News Agency

AA photo

Turkish airstrikes have killed 13 outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants in the southeastern town of Çukurca, the Turkish General Staff has said, amid ongoing military operations against the outlawed organization in multiple locations in southeastern Turkey.

“Thirteen members of the separatist terrorist organization were neutralized in the air operations conducted in Çukurca,” the General Staff said in a written statement on Nov. 16, referring to the PKK as the “separatist terrorist organization.” Çukurca is a district in the southeastern province of Hakkari.

A number of explosives and documents related to the outlawed organization had been seized in an operation conducted in the Beytüşşebap district of the southeastern province of Şırnak, added the statement.

Meanwhile, a RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade, a shotgun and a Kalashnikov clip were seized in operations conducted in the Erciş district of the eastern province of Van.

Clashes between security forces and militants from outlawed organizations were reported to be still ongoing.

In Şırnak’s İdil district, a military operation against the outlawed Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (YDG-H), the youth branch of the PKK, was reported to be ongoing, with intense clashes between security forces and militants.

Education services were reported have been stopped, as parents did not send their children to school due to clashes caused when PKK militants opened fire at security forces.

Military personnel began the anti-terror operation with the escort of additional armored vehicles, weapons and ammunition in İdil’s Yeni Mahalle neighborhood at around 5 a.m. on Nov. 16 to fill in trenches dug by militants. 

In the southeastern province of Mardin, meanwhile, the curfew in the Nusaybin district, which was imposed on Nov. 13 to prevent civilian casualties during the military operation against militants, continued for a fourth day.

A woman was killed and four other people, including her two children, were injured when clashes erupted after PKK militants opened fire at Turkish security forces on an operation to fill in trenches dug by militants in Nusaybin early Nov. 15.

Selamet Yeşilmen, 44, was killed during clashes in Nusaybin’s Fırat neighborhood. Yeşilmen’s daughter Sevcan, 14, and her son Fırat, 10, were wounded.

A man identified as Yılmaz Tutak, 40, who ran to help Yeşilmen and her children was also injured in the clashes.

Meanwhile, a man identified as Abdulhakim Aytimur was wounded when an unknown object hit him in the back.

Aytimur was also brought to the Nusaybin Public Hospital, though he was not mortally wounded. 

In Şırnak’s Cizre district, a curfew was declared for Cizre’s Yafes and Sur neighborhoods at 9 p.m. on Nov. 14, but lifted at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 15. Clashes during the curfew hours between security forces and militants lasted until the Nov. 15 morning and dozens of homes and buildings were severely damaged.

Three civilians were reported to have been injured when clashes erupted over gunfire opened by militants.