The attack on the police headquarters in Elazig, a city of about 350,000 in eastern Elazig province, killed at least three police officers and injured 85 police officers and 60 civilians. Since then, more than 600 Turkish security personnel and thousands of PKK militants have been killed, according to Anadolu.
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Authorities implemented a temporary blackout on media coverage of the Elazig bombing due to “public order and national security” concerns, a common act imposed by Turkish officials after deadly attacks such as these.
When the military vehicle was returning from the engagement, it was struck by a roadside bomb in the nearby village of Gayda, killing five soldiers and wounding four. “There is no doubt about it”, he told reporters.
At least three police officers have been killed by a auto bomb in Turkey.
The wave of attacks come as Turkey is focused on a clampdown on suspected followers of a movement led by USA -based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, which the government accuses of orchestrating a failed military coup last month, that killed at least 270 people.
“The PKK resumed its long-running conflict against the Turkish military in July 2015, after more than two years of reconciliation talks broke down”.
It was on Wednesday that the terror began when PKK launched their campaign of vehicle bombings following commander Cemil Bayik’s threat to increase attacks on police in Turkey.
He said the Turkish security forces have killed at least 182 Kurdish rebels in the weeks following the July 15 failed military coup, insisting that there has been no slackening in the fight against the PKK.
Elazig won’t collapse with this attack.
Officials blamed all of the bombings on the PKK, with one accusing the rebels of collaborating with supporters of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara has accused of orchestrating the coup bid.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated the claim, saying FETO was behind the bombings in terms of “intelligence-sharing and encouragement”, Anadolu reported.
“There is no difference between the PKK, Daesh (ISIS), and FETO”.
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About 23,000 people are being held amid the crackdown, and more than 81,000 people have been dismissed or suspended from their jobs, including 1,700 soldiers and almost 9,000 police.
