Soldier martyred in PKK terrorist attack in SE Turkey

By Sadrettin Kaya and Yilmaz Kazandioglu

VAN, Turkey

A Turkish soldier was martyred on Monday by a roadside bomb laid by the terrorist PKK in the southeastern Hakkari province, according to the governor's office.

A Hakkari Governor's Office statement said the soldier was martyred by an improvised explosive device (IED) in a mountainous region of the Cukurca district.

Four PKK terrorists were also killed during an air-backed operation in the province’s Yuksekova district, the statement said.

The terrorists were reportedly preparing an attack on Turkish border posts in the region, the statement added.

Additionally, a separate attack martyred a village guard in the eastern Van province, according to a local security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

The attack in the Caldiran district of the province also injured another village guard, who is being treated in the hospital, the source added.

Since the PKK launched its terror campaign in 1984, an estimated 40,000 people in Turkey have died in related violence.

Following a fragile cease-fire, the group resumed fighting in July 2015, since when it has been responsible for the deaths of around 1,200 security personnel and civilians.