One Turkish soldier killed in blast in Şırnak in Turkey’s southeast

ŞIRNAK

One Turkish soldier was killed when an improvised explosive device planted by outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants blew up in the southeastern Şırnak province on April 24, state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing a regional governor’s office. 

The soldier was seriously wounded in the Soru Tepe area in the central district early morning during an operation launched on April 23 in the province, a statement released by the local governor’s office said.

The injured soldier later succumbed to his wounds at the Şırnak State Hospital.

The anti-terror operation in the area continues, the statement added.

On April 23, the Turkish Interior Ministry said a total of 42 militants were “neutralized” as part of counter-terror operations across Turkey over the past week.

Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralized” in their statements to imply that the militants in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

In a statement, the ministry said security forces had carried out 1,383 counter-terrorism operations on April 16-23.

The ministry specified that 18 of the militants were killed, 10 were captured, and 14 surrendered to authorities.

During the operations, 131 people were also detained for allegedly aiding and abetting the PKK and 47 others for their suspected links to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).