Army: No negligence on Dağlıca

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish army continues operations in the region after Dağlıca attack. AA photo

The military said there was no logistical or intelligence negligence regarding Tuesday’s terrorist attacks in the Dağlıca district of Hakkari province on the Iraqi border, as suggested by some media reports.

“It has been verified that there was no negligence on this incident. The attacked unit heroically fought and neutralized 15 terrorists in front of their positions,” the army said in a written statement responding to criticisms that the unit was unprepared for such an attack and intelligence reports were ignored.

It confirmed that 31 terrorists had been neutralized as a result of operations carried out by special units immediately after the attack took place.

“The infantry battalion was also supported with a squadron of commandos. The unit has all personnel weapons and vehicles,” the statement said. It also indicated that the attacked station was a small station and not a main building. “It is a temporary base equipped with a tank, with 52 personal trained for homeland security purposes,” it said.

The statement added that unmanned aerial vehicles had immediately been deployed to the region.

It is also indicated that the attack was not made on the main Dağlıca base, but was 10 kilometers away from the base. “Describing this attack as the second Dağlıca attack is wrong, as the location and results are different,” the statement said. Terrorists attacked the main Dağlıca base in 2008, killing 12 soldiers and capturing eight.