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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002367 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (September 8-15, 2007) REF: ANKARA 2313 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 September 8-15, 2007 reporting period, no GOT security officials were killed but 12 were injured, including two village guards in clashes with PKK terrorists and ten security officials in mine/IED explosions. ¶3. (U) In the same period, at least six PKK terrorists were killed in clashes, with the body of another located near the site of a clash whose death could have been inflicted either by Turkish security forces or by PKK forces (who have been known to execute those trying to surrender or flee). Another four PKKers were captured and three surrendered. ¶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 at least 13 PKK shelters/caves/caches 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. Throughout the week security forces spotted around a dozen PKK improvised explosive devices in the region and most of them were detonated before they went off. ¶6. (U) Activity as reported by TGS website: CLASHES (NUMBER) May 2007, 40 June 2007, 40 July 2007, 15 August 2007, 12 September 1-7, 2007, 5 September 8-15, 2007, 5 CASUALTIES Security Forces May 2007 15 KIA, 52 WIA June 2007 23 KIA, 51 WIA July 2007 10 KIA, 14 WIA August 2007 12 KIA, 30 WIA September 1-7, 2007 0 KIA, 0 WIA September 8-15, 2007 0 KIA, 12 WIA PKK May 2007 20 KIA, 31 captured, 3 surrendered June 2007 34 KIA, 16 captured,17 surrendered ANKARA 00002367 002 OF 003 July 2007 11 KIA, 10 captured,13 surrendered August 2007 38 KIA, 24 captured, 7 surrendered September 1-7, 2007 1 KIA, 3 captured, 1 surrendered September 8-15, 2007 7 KIA, 4 captured, 3 surrendered CACHES RECOVERED (NUMBER) May 2007, 113 June 2007, 50 July 2007, 28 August 2007, 40 September 1-7, 2007, 11 September 8-15, 2007, 13 ¶7. (U) Following are the casualty figures for the 2007. TURKISH SECURITY FORCES (KIA or WIA) JANUARY 1 KIA, 2 WIA FEBRUARY 1 KIA, 0 WIA MARCH 5 KIA, 4 WIA APRIL 18 KIA, 16 WIA MAY 15 KIA, 43 WIA JUNE 24 KIA, 51 WIA JULY 10 KIA, 14 WIA AUGUST 12 KIA, 30 WIA SEPTEMBER 1-7, 2007, 0 KIA, 0 WIA SEPTEMBER 8-15, 2007,0 KIA, 12 WIA TOTAL 86 KIA, 172 WIA PKK (KIA, Captured or surrendered) JANUARY 0 KIA, 5 captured, 3 surrendered FEBRUARY 0 KIA, 14 captured,0 surrendered MARCH 16 KIA,15 captured, 7 surrendered APRIL 16 KIA,8 captured,4 surrendered MAY 20* KIA,31 captured,3 surrendered JUNE 34 KIA,16 captured,17 surrendered JULY 11 KIA,10 captured, 13 surrendered AUGUST 38 KIA,24 captured,7 surrendered SEPTEMBER 1-7, 2007 1 KIA, 3 captured, 1 surrendered SEPTEMBER 8-15,2007 7 KIA, 4 captured, 3 surrendered TOTAL 143 KIA, 130 captured, 58 surrendered * Includes PKK suicide bomber from May 22 attack in Ankara CIVILIANS (KIA or WIA) JANUARY 0 KIA, 0 WIA ANKARA 00002367 003 OF 003 FEBRUARY 1 KIA, 0 WIA MARCH 0 KIA, 0 WIA APRIL 1 KIA, 0 WIA MAY 14*KIA, 108* WIA JUNE 1 KIA, 1 WIA JULY 1 KIA, 3 WIA AUGUST 1 KIA, 1 WIA SEPTEMBER 1 - 7, 2007 0 KIA, 0 WIA SEPTEMBER 8 - 15, 2007 0 KIA, 0 WIA TOTAL 19 KIA, 113 WIA * Includes 9 KIA and 100 WIA from May 22 Ankara bombing. WILSON