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Militants attack villages and military forces across Turkey

October 20, 2019 at 2:42 pm

Turkish soldiers perform during a military ceremony at Yeni Foca Gendarmerie Commando Counter Terrorism Operations School Command after 45 specialized sergeant swore oath in Izmir, Turkey on October 18, 2019 [Emin Mengüarslan / Anadolu Agency]

In two separate incidents, militants opened fired on both Turkish military forces and civilians, in east and southeastern Turkey.

The Turkish news agency, Anadolu Agency,  attributed the attacks to the militant wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

At the incident in southeastern Turkey, Anadolu Agency claims that PKK militants opened fire on villagers, who went to gather wood, in Uludere district of Sirnak. Four people were wounded in the attack.

Injured villagers were taken to Sirnak State Hospital with a helicopter. According to the hospital’s statement, villagers do not have life threatening injuries.

At a separate incident, militants opened fire on soldiers on patrol in Dogubeyazit district of eastern Turkey’s Agri province on Sunday, injuring five of them.

According to Turkish security sources, the militants attacked with rockets on an armored vehicle of the Turkish military during its patrol along the Iranian border.

Five soldiers were injured in the attack. Wounded soldiers were immediately taken to Dogubeyazit and Igdır State Hospitals.

After the attack, reinforcement troops were sent to the region to carry out an operation against the suspected militants.

While the PKK is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU, Kurdish groups aligned to it have been the key partner for the US in Iraq and Syria, during it’s campaign against Daesh.

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