PKK attack in SE Turkey kills 7 civilians

DİYARBAKIR

At least seven civilians were killed and nine injured when PKK terrorists targeted a vehicle carrying forest workers in southeastern Turkey, Turkey's interior minister said early on Sept. 13.

"Our seven brothers were martyred by an improvised explosives blast while the vehicle was carrying them. Rest in peace. We had 10 injured, and one was immediately discharged," Süleyman Soylu said following his visit to the injured at hospitals in the Diyarbakir province.

Soylu added that two of the injured being treated at Selahaddin Eyyubi Hospital were seriously wounded.

The terrorist attack took place in Diyarbakır's Kulp district at around 6 p.m. (1500GMT), according to the Diyarbakır Governorship.

An improvised explosive device was used in the attack targeting villagers on their way to collect firewood.

A probe launched into the attack found out that a vehicle belonging to the Diyarbakır Municipality was at the scene of the crime shortly before the explosion. Arrest warrants were issued for four suspects.

The district head of the HDP was arrested along with the director of the civil works at Kulp Municipality.

An operation against the terror group is ongoing in the region. The explosion has left a 1.5-meter dent in the ground.

Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu attended the funerals of the victims in Kulp on Sept. 13. He also visited the injured villagers at a local hospital.

The U.S. Embassy in Turkey condemned on Sept. 13 the terror attack.

“We condemn the terror attack in Diyarbakir province,” the embassy said in a tweet. The embassy wished speedy recovery for the injured and conveyed condolences to the families for their loss. “We urge for the end of these heinous attacks,” it said.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.