924 people detained in anti-terror operations in one week: Interior Ministry

ANKARA

DHA photo

The Interior Ministry stated on Dec. 19 that a total of 924 suspects were detained in operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) across Turkey over the past week, after the country was rocked by two deadly terror attacks.

Security forces conducted operations in 45 provinces across the country, detaining 924 suspects for allegedly aiding and abetting the PKK, the ministry stated.

It also said security forces, including the gendarmerie special forces, commandoes, police special forces and the army’s air and land units, had conducted 213 operations targeting PKK militants between Dec. 12 and Dec. 19 across Turkey.

Seven PKK militants were “neutralized,” with two killed, while another five were captured, one of whom was injured, it added.

Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralized” to imply militants who have been captured or killed. 

The ministry also said 24 sanctuaries, 21 handmade explosives, 700 kilograms of bomb equipment, five hand grenades and 53 weapons, including 29 kalashnikovs were seized in operations.

The ministry stated that drugs worth 7 million Turkish Liras were seized in operations, including 89 kilograms of heroin, 806 kilograms of cannabis, 30 kilograms of opium gums, 22,076 opiate drugs, one kilogram of phenazepam and three kilograms of methamphetamine. Smuggled cigarettes worth 10 million liras and fuel oil were also seized in operations, in which 273 suspects were detained, it said.

According to the ministry, a total of 88 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants were also detained and five of them were later arrested.

Some 2,002 irregular migrants were also captured, the ministry stated, adding that 53 migrant smuggling organizers were detained, 19 of whom were later arrested.

Turkey has been rocked by two deadly terror attacks over the course of one week, one in Istanbul and the other in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri.

On Dec. 10, a car bomb went off outside Vodafone Arena stadium in the Beşiktaş district and a suicide bomber detonated himself in Maçka Park just across from the stadium killing 44 people, mostly police officers, an attack claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), affiliated to the PKK.

On Dec. 17, 14 soldiers were killed and 56 others wounded after a car bomb attack targeting a bus carrying off-duty soldiers in Kayseri.