Update on PKK Violence (August 1-7, 2007)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002043 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (August 1-7, 2007) REF: ANKARA 2001 and previous (U) Sensitive but unclassified - please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) This is another in a series of periodic reports on 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) During the August 1-7, 2007 reporting period, seven GOT security officials were killed, six during clashes with PKK terrorists and one when a land mine exploded. An additional eight security officials were wounded in land mine explosions. ¶3. (U) In the same period, 14 PKK terrorists were killed in action and three were captured. ¶4. (U) The TGS website reported five clashes between security forces and PKK terrorists in Turkey's southeastern region during the reporting period. Security forces discovered seven PKK shelters/caves and seized booby-trapped land mines; other explosives, including A-4 and TNT; Kalashnikov rifles; cartridges; hand grenades; pistols; night vision binoculars; TV sets; satellite antennas; and radios. ¶5. (U) On August 4, a villager was kidnapped by the PKK and then killed in Gurpinar, Van Province. ¶6. (U) On August 6, the PKK released eight villagers that it had kidnapped on July 31 in Baskale, Van Province. ¶7. (U) Activity as reported by TGS website: CLASHES NUMBER May 2007 40 June 2007 40 July 2007 15 August 1-7, 2007 5 CASUALTIES Security Forces May 2007 15 KIA, 52 WIA June 2007 23 KIA, 51 WIA July 2007 10 KIA, 14 WIA August 1-7, 2007 7 KIA, 8 WIA PKK May 2007 20 KIA, 31 captured, 3 surrendered June 2007 34 KIA, 16 captured, 17 surrendered July 2007 11 KIA, 10 captured,13 surrendered August 1-7, 2007 14 KIA, 3 captured, 0 surrendered CACHES RECOVERED May 2007 113 ANKARA 00002043 002 OF 002 June 2007 50 July 2007 28 August 1-7, 2007 7 ¶8. (U) Following are the casualty figures for the 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 10 14 AUGUST 1-7, 2007 7 8 TOTAL 81 147 PKK KIA Captured Surrendered JANUARY 0 5 3 FEBRUARY 0 14 0 MARCH 16 15 7 APRIL 16 8 4 MAY 20* 31 3 JUNE 34 16 17 JULY 11 10 13 AUGUST 1-7, 2007 14 3 0 TOTAL 111 102 47 * 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 MAY 14* 108* JUNE 1 1 JULY 1 3 AUGUST 1-7, 2007 1 (by the PKK) 0 TOTAL 19 114 * Includes 9 KIA and 100 WIA from May 22 Ankara bombing. MCELDOWNEY