Soldier killed in PKK armed attack in Turkey’s southeast

ŞIRNAK – Doğan News Agency

DHA photo

One soldier was killed on Feb. 24 in an outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) attack in the southeastern province of Şırnak.

PKK militants attacked Specialized Sgt. Ömer Koca as he was shopping in the city center in plainclothes. Koca was killed instantly in the assault.

Security forces conducted an operation to apprehend the fleeing PKK militants responsible for the attack.

Meanwhile, seven soldiers have been wounded in the İdil district of the southeastern province of Şırnak, after militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) detonated a roadside bomb during the passing of an armored military vehicle. 

A previously-installed explosive was detonated by PKK militants in İdil’s Turgut Özal neighborhood at 11.30 a.m. on Feb. 28. Seven security officials were wounded in the attack, while the armored vehicle was also damaged. 

Reports state that the wounded soldiers were transferred to the Şırnak Military Hospital following an emergency response at İdil State Hospital. 

Some 12 militants were apprehended dead after an air operation to block their attempt to infiltrate into the district. The dead bodies of the militants were sent to Mardin for an autopsy and identification. 

In İdil, an indefinite curfew was declared starting from 11 p.m. on Feb. 16 and has been ongoing for the past 10 days. The Turkish General Staff announced in a statement on Feb. 25 that at least 47 PKK militants had been killed in the district over the past week. 

Operations in the district’s Yeni Mahalle neighborhood, where trenches and barricades are being removed with heavy machinery, came to an end on Feb. 25. Houses in the neighborhood are now being thoroughly searched, with reports claiming that explosives, bombs and rocket propelled grenades have been seized from some apartments. 

The Kirkuk-Yumurtalık oil pipeline, which passes through İdil, has also been closely examined in order to determine whether any explosives have been placed on its route. 

In addition, clashes are continuing in the Turgut Özal neighborhood of İdil, where trenches and barricades remain in place. 

Reports indicate that artillery shots are being fired at designated targets from tanks deployed around the Dirsekli village.