Seven soldiers wounded in land mine explosion in southeastern Turkey

MARDİN

AA Photo

Seven soldiers were wounded Dec. 22 when a land mine planted on the road was detonated as a military vehicle was passing in the southeastern province of Mardin.

Gendarmerie forces were patrolling the area in the Dağiçi locality near Bagok Mountain when the explosion occurred.

The Mardin Gendarmerie Special Operations commander and six soldiers in the armored vehicle were hospitalized.

An operation has been launched to apprehend the perpetrators.

The Mardin Governor’s Office and the Turkish General Staff released seperate statements confirming the land mine explosion.

Meanwhile, another soldier was wounded in the town of Lice in the southeastern Diyarbakır province during a gunfight.

Assailants opened harassing fire from nearby hills while security teams were conducting a search in the Bağlan neighborhood as a part of an anti-drug operation, Anadolu Agency reported.

A specialist sergeant was wounded before soldiers returned fire, reports said.

An M-16 service rifle with five clips, six tons of drugs and four vehicles that were stolen by militants were seized in the operation.