21 PKK militants, two soldiers killed in clashes in Turkey’s Hakkari

21 PKK militants, two soldiers killed in clashes in Turkey’s Hakkari

HAKKARİ
A total of 21 outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants and two soldiers were killed on Oct. 20 during clashes in the Çukurca district of the southeastern province of Hakkari on the Iraqi border, the General Staff has announced.
Security forces conducted an operation against a group of PKK militants who were spotted in the mountainous Güven Dağı region of Hakkari early on Oct. 20.

Captain Özgür Çevik and Infantry Sp. Sgt. Murat Özer were killed and another five soldiers were wounded in clashes that erupted in the morning hours. The injured soldiers were transferred to the Hakkari State Hospital by helicopter for treatment. 

Meanwhile, the General Staff also announced that a total of 21 PKK militants were killed in operations conducted from both air and land in the Uzundere Hisar Dağı and Güvendağı regions early on Oct. 20.

According to the army, nine PKK militants were killed in the first operation conducted between 12:09 a.m. and 7:08 a.m.

Another two PKK militants were also killed at 7:08 a.m. by unmanned aerial vehicles, according to the military.

It added that Turkish warplanes also conducted an air operation in the Hisardağı region between 8:26 a.m. and 8:28 a.m., killing another 10 PKK militants.

The injured militants were taken across the border into Iraq by other militants, the General Staff added. 
Security forces’ operations in the region to apprehend the PKK militants were ongoing.

In addition, one village guard was also killed in a separate PKK attack in the Ömerli district of the southeastern province of Mardin on Oct. 20. 

PKK militants opened fire on the Beşikkaya gendarmerie post and a village guard checkpoint with long-barreled weapons, killing village guard Hasan Gündüz.