PKK terrorist killed, 6 suspects jailed in east Turkey

VAN / BITLIS / MALATYA, Turkey

At least one suspect was killed in a clash and six other suspects were sent to prison in Turkey's eastern Van, Bitlis and Malatya provinces Wednesday for alleged links with terrorist organizations, including PKK and DHKP-C, Turkish security authorities said.

According to a statement from Van Police Department, a suspect was detained for allegedly trying to send a pick-up truck loaded with food and basic essentials to PKK terrorist organization. Two more suspects were held in the province in a separate raid for alleged links with PKK’s rural branch.

PKK is reportedly digging shelters in the mountains and stocking materials in the countryside of Turkey's east and southeast regions in preparations for the looming winter.

In Bitlis province’s Guroymak district, police detained a suspect after a body search revealed two binoculars and alleged PKK documents, a statement from the regional governor's office said. The suspect was sent to court and prison on charge of "aiding the terrorist organization”.

Two suspects were also arrested in Malatya province Wednesday for allegedly distributing signed leaflets on behalf of Dev-Genc, the youth wing of the far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) terrorist group. Malatya Police Department said in a statement that the suspects were held for distributing leaflets in Pasakusku Neighborhood’s Ismet Pasa Street.

In a separate incident, a PKK terrorist was killed in southeastern Hakkari province in an alleged clash with Turkish security forces, the regional governor’s office said in a statement.

Turkish security forces have been carrying out nation-wide counter-terror operations against PKK at home and abroad since late July, amid a spike in attacks targeting security personnel.

Turkey has been hit by a wave of attacks recently. The Suruc bombing on July 20 killed 33 people, while the Ankara bombings killed more than 100 people on Oct. 10.

PKK -- which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU and the U.S. -- has renewed its armed attacks mostly in the country's eastern and southeastern regions, which resulted in the derailment of the "solution process".

There have been also several arrests across Turkey since the Suruc bombing; most suspects held have alleged links with the terrorist groups PKK, KCK, Daesh as well as DHKP-C.