One Turkish soldier killed, one wounded in PKK attack in Turkey’s southeast

DİYARBAKIR

One Turkish soldier was killed and another was wounded in an attack by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the southeastern province Diyarbakır on June 19, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Two Turkish soldiers were wounded in the PKK fire in Diyarbakır’s Lice district during an ongoing operation to neutralize the key PKK leaders and militants in the province’s six different districts.

The wounded soldiers were taken to the Selahaddin Eyyübi State Hospital in Diyarbakır, where one of them succumbed to his injuries. An operation has started to apprehend the PKK militants.

Meanwhile, one village guard was killed in the southeastern province of Şırnak after he was reportedly kidnapped by the PKK militants, a security source said on June 19.

Mehmet Beldek, 23, was kidnapped on June 17 by a group of militants in the Yeniaslanbaşar village of the Şırnak province, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.        

Beldek’s body was found on the bank of a stream close to the village.

According to an initial autopsy report by the Şırnak State Hospital, he had been strangled by a rope two days ago.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry stated that Turkey’s security forces had “neutralized” 51 PKK militants in a nationwide counter-terrorism operation last week.

During the operation, 33 militants were killed, 10 were captured alive and eight surrendered.

Among those neutralized, one was labeled “category green” and another “category grey” on the Interior Ministry’s wanted list. 

The list is divided into five color-coded categories with red designated as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and grey.

Air operation in Northern Iraq

In addition, the Turkish Air Force carried out a counter-terrorism operation early on June 19, killing six PKK militants, in the region of Great Zab in northern Iraq.

According to a military statement, fighter jets targeted PKK militants just as they were preparing an attack on a Turkish unit.        

The strike also destroyed two PKK ammunition depots, the statement said.