Five soldiers killed in PKK attacks in Turkey’s Kars, Şırnak, Bitlis

KARS/ŞIRNAK

Five Turkish soldiers were killed and four others were wounded on April 25 due to attacks by militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the eastern and southeastern provinces of Kars, Bitlis and Şırnak, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Two soldiers were killed due to the explosion of a mine planted by PKK militants in Kars. The blast occurred in an area of Mount Çemçe in Kars’ Kağızman district during an operation against militants.

The other PKK attack occurred in Şırnak. Two soldiers were succumbed to their injuries while the passage of a military vehicle after a hand-made explosive was detonated by militants in the Uludere district. The bodies of killed specialist sergeants, Sedat Düzgün, 29, Nezir Pırnacı, 26, were sent to their home provinces.

One soldier was also killed and one other was wounded due to the detonation of an explosive that was trapped by PKK militants. 

PKK militants detonated explosion in the Sehi forestland of Bitlis during an ongoing operation.  
    
The wounded soldiers were taken to state hospitals, while security forces have launched an operation to apprehend the militants responsible for the attacks.

Meanwhile, a total of 11 PKK militants were killed during an air operation in the eastern province of Hakkari on April 25, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

The militants who had staged an infiltration attempt to a military base between the Yayladere and Mount Güven areas, were killed by warplanes. The militants were detected by unmanned aerial vehicles.  

Moreover, ammunition, explosives and weapons were seized during an operation in Şırnak, according to the local governor’s office.

A Bixi type machine gun, six RPG-7 type rocket projectors, one infantry rifle, 22 Kalashnikovs, one mortar, 85 hand-bombs, nine anti-tank mines, 10 smoke bombs, three tons of ammonium nitrate and a large amount of ammunition was seized during the operation.

The operation, which was participated in by village guards, was conducted in four caves allegedly used by militants in the Kato Mountain.  

Meanwhile, two PKK militants were also “neutralized” during an operation in Şırnak’s Mount Cudi, according to a statement from the local governor’s office.