PKK kills 11 in Turkey’s east, southeast
AĞRI/MARDİN/HAKKARİ
Eleven people were killed in separate attacks by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the eastern province of Ağrı and the southeastern province of Mardin on Sept. 15.
A total of 10 people were killed in the Tendürek region of the Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı when PKK militants attacked a point where village guards were stationed at around 8:30 p.m. Seven village guards, a specialized sergeant, a solider and a civilian were killed, while three soldiers and one civilian were wounded in the attack.
According to a statement released from the Ağrı Governor’s Office, clashes erupted after the outlawed group staged its attack with long-barreled weapons and rocket launchers. Village guards returned fire after the attack, as the wounded soldiers were taken to the Doğubayazıt State Hospital, where one, who was in critical condition, succumbed to his wounds.
An operation with aerial support was launched to apprehend the militants involved in the attack and PKK targets were hit with artillery fire. In addition, Special Forces teams were sent to the area as reinforcements.
One of the people killed in the attack was a retired village guard, according to Doğan News Agency.
A total of 12 people, of whom nine were soldiers and three were village guards, were killed and 18 others were wounded in Tendürek on Sept. 2, as the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) killed 13 militants.
Elsewhere, a person was killed in the Yenişehir neighborhood in Mardin’s Nusaybin, where a curfew has been in force, when an explosive hidden by PKK militants was detonated. Mehmet Sait Malak, 48, entered his house to move his belongings but was killed when the home-made bomb exploded.
Three others who were with Malak were unharmed and taken to police headquarters to give their testimonies.
Malak reportedly moved to Turkey after escaping from the clashes in Syria and obtained Turkish citizenship. His body was taken to Nusaybin State Hospital for autopsy.
Meanwhile, five PKK militants were killed in ongoing security operations in the Şemdinli district of the southeastern province of Hakkari on Sept. 16. The killed militants included those who killed a local politician on Sept. 14.
Militants spotted fleeing into nearby hills were shot by security forces in the continuing operations in the Tuğlu, Çatalca, Soğuksu, Güvenli and Erdemli areas of Şemdinli. Sources said two militants were killed in the Göl Tepe area and three were killed in the Siyah Tepe area of the district.
The militants who killed Ahmet Budak, who was the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Hakkari candidate in the Nov. 1, 2015, elections, were among the ones killed.
Budak was shot in front of his house while returning from a visit to mark the Eid al-Adha holiday with his son.
Separately, three more PKK militants were killed in the Çukurca district of Hakkari, where clashes between security forces and PKK militants have intensified in recent days.
The TSK announced that a total of 204 PKK militants were killed since the beginning of the security operations in Çukurca.
A total of 10 people were killed in the Tendürek region of the Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı when PKK militants attacked a point where village guards were stationed at around 8:30 p.m. Seven village guards, a specialized sergeant, a solider and a civilian were killed, while three soldiers and one civilian were wounded in the attack.
According to a statement released from the Ağrı Governor’s Office, clashes erupted after the outlawed group staged its attack with long-barreled weapons and rocket launchers. Village guards returned fire after the attack, as the wounded soldiers were taken to the Doğubayazıt State Hospital, where one, who was in critical condition, succumbed to his wounds.
An operation with aerial support was launched to apprehend the militants involved in the attack and PKK targets were hit with artillery fire. In addition, Special Forces teams were sent to the area as reinforcements.
One of the people killed in the attack was a retired village guard, according to Doğan News Agency.
A total of 12 people, of whom nine were soldiers and three were village guards, were killed and 18 others were wounded in Tendürek on Sept. 2, as the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) killed 13 militants.
Elsewhere, a person was killed in the Yenişehir neighborhood in Mardin’s Nusaybin, where a curfew has been in force, when an explosive hidden by PKK militants was detonated. Mehmet Sait Malak, 48, entered his house to move his belongings but was killed when the home-made bomb exploded.
Three others who were with Malak were unharmed and taken to police headquarters to give their testimonies.
Malak reportedly moved to Turkey after escaping from the clashes in Syria and obtained Turkish citizenship. His body was taken to Nusaybin State Hospital for autopsy.
Meanwhile, five PKK militants were killed in ongoing security operations in the Şemdinli district of the southeastern province of Hakkari on Sept. 16. The killed militants included those who killed a local politician on Sept. 14.
Militants spotted fleeing into nearby hills were shot by security forces in the continuing operations in the Tuğlu, Çatalca, Soğuksu, Güvenli and Erdemli areas of Şemdinli. Sources said two militants were killed in the Göl Tepe area and three were killed in the Siyah Tepe area of the district.
The militants who killed Ahmet Budak, who was the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Hakkari candidate in the Nov. 1, 2015, elections, were among the ones killed.
Budak was shot in front of his house while returning from a visit to mark the Eid al-Adha holiday with his son.
Separately, three more PKK militants were killed in the Çukurca district of Hakkari, where clashes between security forces and PKK militants have intensified in recent days.
The TSK announced that a total of 204 PKK militants were killed since the beginning of the security operations in Çukurca.