Policeman killed in PKK bomb attack in southeastern Turkey

DİYARBAKIR - Anadolu Agency

Turkish security officials are seen during an operation in Diyarbakır on Oct 10. AA photo

A bomb blast killed one policeman and wounded six others in the Sur district of southeastern Diyarbakır province on Oct. 10, the provincial governorate has said.

The Governorate said in a statement that the bomb exploded while the policemen were clearing streets of barriers and trenches constructed by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) supporters.

"Treatment of the injured policemen is ongoing," said the governorate, adding that a gun battle broke out with "three members of the separatist terror organization" following the initial attack.

"One individual was killed and the two [PKK] were wounded. In addition, 68 hand-made bombs and one Kaleshnikov rifle were seized," added the governorate.

A curfew was announced in some Dİyarbakır neighborhoods. 

Another police officer was killed by the PKK on Oct. 9 still in Diyarbakır, the governor's office and provincial police department said, as four PKK members were killed in an operations in the southeast, the military said on Oct. 10.

Policeman Salih Eroğlu was traveling with his wife and three-year-old child to Hani district where he was on duty, officials said.

While driving on the Diyarbakır-Hani highway, Eroğlu noticed PKK militants ahead blocking the road. Trying to turn back to avoid them, he was killed when terrorists shelled his car with long-barreled weapons. His child and wife survived the attack without any injuries.

Three PKK members were killed in an operation in Turkey's southeastern province of Hakkari, the military said Oct. 10 in a statement on its website.

The General Staff added that one PKK member was killed in another operation in Adıyaman province to the west.

The PKK called on its fighters to halt activities in Turkey unless they face an attack, a news website close to the organization said Oct. 10, three months after it ended a two-year-old de facto cease-fire. 

Fırat news agency reported the heads of the outlawed KCK, the PKK’s umbrella group, as saying the decision was taken in response to calls from within and outside Turkey and that its members would avoid acts which could prevent a "fair and just election" being held on Nov. 1.