Four PKK militants preparing for attacks caught on Turkish-Iraqi border

ŞIRNAK/HAKKARİ

AA photo

Four militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have been caught in the Uludere district of the southeastern province of Şırnak while trying to cross the border from Iraq. 
The militants, who were trained in PKK camps in Iraq, were planning to stage bomb attacks in Turkey, according to a statement released by Turkish General Staff on March 24. 

The General Staff said the militants were carrying three hand-made explosives, 30 kilograms of aluminum powder, 10 kilograms of RDX explosives, and six electric detonators.
 
Elsewhere, some 12 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, three Kanas sniper rifle magazines, a ton of food products and various other objects belonging to the PKK were confiscated in the Nusaybin district of the southeastern province of Mardin. 

Another operation was carried out in the Pülümür district of the eastern province of Tunceli, in which 250 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, five cylinders, four hand-made set-up explosives, and documents related to the PKK were seized by the security forces. In the Nizamiye district, two tons of ammonium nitrate, a 1,300-meter long electric cable, a generator, and 180 liters of gasoline were found in four shelters belonging to the outlawed group. 

Meanwhile, the death toll from a PKK attack in the Çukurca district of the southeastern Hakkari province has risen to two. 

Specialized Sgt. Mehmet Acıbucu, 21, succumbed to his wounds in the hospital where he was receiving treatment.

Acıbucu was wounded in the attack on an army base late on March 22, which killed soldier Onur Deniz and wounded four others. Acıbucu was among the wounded and was taken to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on March 23, according to a statement released by Turkish military.

News of his death was conveyed to his family in the Kadirli district of the southern province of Osmaniye by District Governor Tamer Orhan and a delegation. His mother, Yeter Acıbucu, fainted after learning of her son’s death, prompting an intervention by medical teams.

It was revealed that Acıbucu started his duty eight months ago and had visited his home just 15 days before he was killed.