MIDEAST-CRISIS/TURKEY-ATTACK Three killed by PKK mine in southeast Turkey - security sources

Record ID: 145120

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/TURKEY-ATTACK Three killed by PKK mine in southeast Turkey - security sources
  • Date: 4th August 2015
  • Summary: SIRNAK, TURKEY (AUGUST 4, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF MILITARY HELICOPTERS FLYING AROUND THE MOUNTAINS VARIOUS OF SMOKE BILLOWING OUT FROM THE MOUNTAINS HELICOPTERS HOVERING AROUND SMOKE RISING FROM THE MOUNTAINS VARIOUS OF HELICOPTER FLYING IN THE AREA VARIOUS OF THE ROADSIDE WHERE THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN A BLAST FROM HOMEMADE M
  • Embargoed: 19th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2NRHJK8PPOT1YH3JWUB5NBXVV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Two Turkish soldiers and an armed guard were killed in a blast from a homemade mine planted by Kurdish militants on Tuesday (August 4) in the southeastern province of Sirnak, security sources said.
    The deaths came amid a surge of attacks against the military by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and reciprocal air strikes by Turkish jets on PKK targets in northern Iraq.
    Security officials said PKK militants planted the remote controlled device and detonated it as a military car passed.
    The blast injured two others, in addition to the three fatalities.
    Another soldier was killed and one wounded when militants attacked a guard post in Sirnak with a rocket-propelled grenade.
    The deaths bring the number of Turkish security forces killed by the PKK since July 20 to at least 19, the worst bloodshed since the group and the government agreed a ceasefire in 2013.
    Turkish military tightened security around the region after the attack. On Tuesday afternoon, military helicopters were hovering around the mountains of Sirnak as plumes of smoke rose from the area.
    The PKK announced it was stepping up attacks in mid-July over what it said were ceasefire violations, but has responded with yet more violence since Turkey began its air campaign on PKK camps in northern Iraq on July 24.
    Turkish officials have said strikes against the PKK are a response to increased violence from the militants.
    The clashes risk further derailing stalled efforts to end the three-decade insurgency, which has left an estimated 40,000 people dead.
    Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party leader (HDP) Selahattin Demirtas held talks with main opposition Republican People Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
    After the meeting, HDP lawmaker Idris Baluken called for an end to hostilities.
    "Both sides should remove their fingers from triggers. We believe that military operations should stop and PKK should stop fighting. As the Peoples' Democratic Party we are making every effort to achieve that," he said.
    Violence has swept eastern Turkey since last month, when the outlawed PKK ramped up attacks against Turkish security forces. Ankara launched reciprocal air strikes against its fighters in Turkey and northern Iraq.
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