One soldier killed as tank falls off cliff in Turkey’s southeast

ŞIRNAK/ DİYARBAKIR/ ELAZIĞ

DHA photo

One soldier has been killed while another has been wounded after a tank fell off a cliff while maneuvering in the southeastern province of Şırnak’s Uludere district. 

Specialized Sgt. Özcan Mutlu was heavily wounded when the maneuvering tank fell off a cliff in Uludere on April 5. Mutlu was promptly brought to Şırnak Military Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. 

The sergeant’s funeral will be held in his hometown of the Aegean district of Edremit, where he will be laid to rest.

Another soldier, whose identity has not been revealed, also suffered minor injuries in the accident. 

The Turkish Armed Forces released an official statement on its website on April 6 to announce the death and extend its condolences to the soldier’s family, the Armed Forces and the country.

Meanwhile a police officer, who was wounded when an armored vehicle was toppled in the eastern province of Tunceli, succumbed to his injuries on March 6.

Police officer Murat Küpeli, 32, lost his life in the eastern province of Elazığ’s Fırat University Hospital, where he was taken after his initial treatment in Tunceli. Another police officer was also wounded in the accident, and was taken to a hospital in Tunceli.   

As the counter-terror operations continue, one soldier was killed early on April 6 in an attacked staged by outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

PKK militants opened fire on a specialized sergeant with long-barreled weapons in the Bismil district of Diyarbakır as he was driving to a nearby gendarmerie post. The sergeant died at the scene.

An operation has begun in the region to apprehend the PKK militants responsible for the attack.