PKK frees kidnapped Briton as Turkish soldiers die in land mine blast

BİNGÖL- Daily News with wires

A group of militants reportedly blocked the road between Diyarbakır and Bingöl on June 2. DHA Photo

A British tourist who was kidnapped by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on the weekend was freed in the eastern province of Bingöl's Genç district, officials said today. 
 
Two Turkish soldiers, meanwhile, were killed after a land mine exploded while they were conducting an operation to rescue the kidnapped tourist in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır's Lice district, Doğan news agency reported.  
 
The 32-year-old Briton, identified as James Masami by local officials, was described as being in good health and would be taken to Diyarbakır for questioning about his ordeal. 
 
A group of militants reportedly blocked the road between Diyarbakır and Bingöl on June 2, stopping a bus and ordering the passengers to disembark before making propaganda in favor of the PKK. 
 
After explaining the PKK’s goals to the travelers, they stopped more vehicles, which they then set on fire. According to eyewitnesses they went on to kidnap Masami, who was traveling from Diyarbakır to the Black Sea province of Trabzon.  
 
The militants left the scene together with the tourist, according to eyewitnesses. 
 
On May 28 the PKK kidnapped 10 employees working on a road construction project in the eastern province of Iğdır. 
 
The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

*Erdem Güneş contributed to this report from Istanbul.