PKK hits military helicopter in Turkey’s Hakkari, military ‘neutralizes’ eight militants

HAKKARİ

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Militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) militants fired a rocket at a Turkish military helicopter in the Çukurca district of the southeastern province Hakkari, forcing the hit vehicle to make an emergency landing, Doğan News Agency has reported.

The incident occurred on June 8 at around 9 p.m. local time as the Skorsky-type helicopter was reportedly trying to land on a military base in the Güven mountains, bordering northern Iraq. 

Following a forced landing at a position in the northern part of the base, the military personnel in the helicopter, who escaped the attack uninjured, were evacuated from the area by cobra helicopters, sent to the region. 

The security forces then launched an extensive operation in the region to capture the PKK militants. 

“All of the personnel on the helicopter that made an emergency landing were evacuated with other helicopters sent to the region. There are no injured personnel,” the Hakkari Governor’s Office stated.

The governor’s office has released another statement regarding the incident on June 9, indicating that five of the PKK militants believed to have undertaken the helicopter attack on June 8 were “neutralized” in F-16 strikes conducted by the Turkish air forces, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.  

“It is being evaluated that the neutralized members of the separatist terror organization [PKK] is the group that have conducted the helicopter rocket attack on June 8 at 9 p.m.,” the statement said. 

Authorities use the word “neutralized” to refer to militants who are killed, wounded or captured.  

Separately, PKK militants fired upon the 39th mechanized infantry brigade located in the Amanos mountains in the southern province of Hatay with bazookas early on June 9, Doğan News Agency has reported. 

The PKK militants reportedly attacked the brigade from vehicle on a highway nearby, fleeing the scene after the soldiers retaliated. Police and gendarmerie units have reportedly launched an extensive operation in the region.

Meanwhile, three PKK militants were reported to have been “neutralized” on the same day as part of an ongoing operation in the Kato Mountains in the Beytüşşebap district of the southeastern province of Şırnak. 

The Şırnak Governor’s Office said the ongoing operation was launched on April 19 and was being undertaken “within the responsibility of the 23rd Gendarme Border Division Command.”

The Interior Ministry confirmed the numbers given both by the Şırnak and Hakkari Governor Office, saying that “in operations against terror organizations, three terrorists in Hakkari and five in Şırnak have been neutralized.