600 kg of explosives belonging to PKK found in Turkey’s Diyarbakır

DİYARBAKIR – Doğan News Agency

Police found explosive set-ups prepared with 600 kilograms of ammonium nitrate belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır’s Sur district early on Aug. 30. 

The explosives were buried in the ground in three barrels on the side of the Dicle River. 

Police bomb disposal teams cordoned off the area and initiated a work to defuse the 600 kilograms of explosives in a controlled way. Armored vehicles were also dispatched to the area with high security measures. 

Meanwhile, PKK militants set 11 heavy construction vehicles alight in the southeastern province of Siirt late on Aug. 29, the local governor’s office said in a statement. 

“Some 11 heavy construction vehicles belonging to a firm undertaking roadworks between the villages of Bağlıca and Demirkaya were burned by separatist terror organization [PKK] members on Aug. 29 at around 9.10 p.m.,” it said. 

“Two teams of gendarmerie special operations and two armored cobra vehicles were dispatched to the scene. A comprehensive operation supported by unmanned aerial vehicles in the region is continuing and [the public] will be informed of the developments,” it added.

Meanwhile, fire crews were immediately sent the area and the fire was brought under control. 

In a separate incident, police detained 10 people in simultaneous operations in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa on charges of “carrying out PKK propaganda” and “insulting the president.” 

The police seized six unlicensed guns, 126 bullets, iron balls for use in bomb-making, posters of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, uniforms of the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia, digital material and organization documents at the suspects’ addresses. 

Following their testimonies at the police station, the suspects were to be transferred to the court. 

Additionally, five people in the northeastern province of Ardahan were arrested early on Aug. 29 on charges of carrying out PKK propaganda. 

Upon a tip, counter-terror police conducted simultaneous raids on various addresses in the center of Ardahan. Following procedures at the police department, the five suspects were transferred to the Ardahan Public Prosecutor’s Office. After giving testimony to the prosecutor they were arrested.