Update on PKK Violence (July 8-15, 2007)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001840 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (July 8-15, 2007) REF: ANKARA 1791 and previous (U) Sensitive but unclassified - please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) This is another in a series of periodic reports on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) violence in Turkey. Our primary sources for these reports are mainstream Turkish press services, such as the Anatolian News Agency, and international wire services. While these are more reliable than most Turkish press sources, they are not necessarily unimpeachable. A major source is the Turkish General Staff (TGS) website which documents contacts/clashes with the PKK. Press services sympathetic to the PKK, such as Neu-Isenburg People's Defense Forces and Firat News Agency, tend to report higher numbers of the Turkish Security Forces casualties and are often otherwise unreliable. ¶2. (U) From July 8 to 15, 2007, three security officials were killed in action (KIA) or in explosions of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). ¶3. (U) From July 8-15, three PKK terrorists were killed in action, three were captured, and four surrendered, including two who were turned over to Turkish authorities by Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) forces at the border crossing at Habur Gate. ¶4. (U) The TGS website reported three clashes that occurred between security forces and PKK terrorists in southeastern Turkey during the reporting period. Security forces unearthed eight PKK shelters and caves and seized booby-trapped land mines; other explosive materials, including A-4 and TNT; Kalashnikov rifles; cartridges; hand grenades; pistols; night vision binoculars; satellite antennas; and radios. ¶5. (U) On July 9, a sheep stepped on a PKK land mine near Semdinli in Hakkari Province. The shepherd was slightly injured and four of his sheep perished. ¶6. (U) On July 9, the PKK raided a mine in a mountainous region of Hatay Province, stealing three cell phones that belonged to workers there, as well as food. They also destroyed machinery at the mine as they departed. ¶7. (U) On July 10, the PKK detonated a bomb near the Acemoglu Bridge in Kemah, Erzincan Province as a freight train transporting marble was passing over the bridge. Two train cars were damaged. ¶8. (U) On July 10, the PKK detonated a remote-controlled explosive on a rail line near Pulumur in Tunceli Province. Two rail cars of a freight train were derailed as a result. ¶9. (U) Activity as reported by TGS website: CLASHES NUMBER May 2007 40 June 2007 40 July 1-7, 2007 5 July 8-16, 2007 3 CASUALTIES Security Forces May 2007 15 KIA, 52 WIA June 2007 23 KIA, 51 WIA July 1-7, 2007 1 KIA, 4 WIA July 8-16, 2007 3 KIA, -- PKK May 2007 20 KIA, 31 captured, 3 surrendered ANKARA 00001840 002 OF 003 June 2007 34 KIA, 16 captured, 17 surrendered July 1-7, 2007 3 KIA, -- captured, -- surrendered July 8-16, 2007 3 KIA, 3 captured, 4 surrendered CACHES RECOVERED May 2007 113 June 2007 50 July 1-7, 2007 13 July 8-16, 2007 8 ¶10. (U) Following are casualty figures associated with PKK-related violence for 2007. TURKISH SECURITY FORCES KIA WIA JANUARY 1 2 FEBRUARY 1 0 MARCH 5 4 APRIL 18 16 MAY 15 42 JUNE 24 51 July 1-7, 2007 1 4 July 8-16, 2007 3 -- TOTAL 68 129 PKK KIA Captured Surrendered JANUARY -- 5 3 FEBRUARY -- 14 -- MARCH 16 15 7 APRIL 16 8 4 MAY 20* 31 3 JUNE 34 16 17 July 1-7, 2007 3 -- -- July 8-16, 2007 3 3 4 TOTAL 92 92 38 * Includes PKK suicide bomber from May 22 attack in Ankara CIVILIANS KIA WIA JANUARY 0 0 FEBRUARY 1 0 MARCH 0 0 APRIL 1 0 ANKARA 00001840 003 OF 003 MAY 14* 108* JUNE 1 1 July 1-7, 2007 -- -- July 8-16, 2007 -- 1 TOTAL 17 110 * Includes 9 KIA and 100 WIA from May 22 Ankara bombing. WILSON