Update on PKK Violence (September 24-30, 2007)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 002445 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (September 24-30, 2007) REF: ANKARA 2413 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 24-30, 2007 reporting period, 11 GOT security officials were killed, including seven village guards shot by PKK terrorists while riding on a minibus and another three in IED explosions. Fifteen security officials were injured, including 10 in explosions. ¶3. (U) In the same period, 11 PKK terrorists were killed in clashes, while three PKKers were captured and another five surrendered. ¶4. (U) The TGS website reported 12 clashes between security forces and PKK terrorists in Turkey's southeastern region during the reporting period. Security forces discovered at least 35 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. (U) During the reporting period security forces detected 21 explosive devices in the region, most of which were detonated in a controlled environment before they exploded as planned by the PKK. ¶6. (U) On September 29, PKK terrorists opened fire on a minibus carrying village guards and civilians who were returning from a water pipeline construction project to their homes in Besagac, Beytussebap District in Sirnak Province. Seven village guards and five civilians died and one village guard and one civilian were injured during the incident. On September 29, a young boy collecting wood, stepped on a PKK mine near Balaban, Dicle District, Diyarbakir Province. He was killed. On September 28, a PKK mine went off in the mountainous region of Adakli District, Bingol Province, killing three grazing animals. On September 25, a PKK mine went off in the mountainous region of Pulumur District, Tunceli Province, killing three grazing animals. On September 24, a privately-owned tractor struck a mine on the road between Mutki and Kapakli in Bitlis Province and was damaged. ¶7. (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 September 16-23, 2007, 13 September 24-30, 2007, 12 September (full month),35 ANKARA 00002445 002 OF 004 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 September 16-23, 2007 1 KIA, 5 WIA September 24-30, 2007 11 KIA, 15 WIA September (full month) 12 KIA, 32 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 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 September 16-23, 2007 21 KIA, 5 captured, 0 surrendered September 24-30, 2007 11 KIA, 3 captured, 5 surrendered September (full month) 40 KIA, 15 captured, 9 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 September 16-23, 2007, 60 September 24-30, 2007, 35 September (full month),119 ¶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 ANKARA 00002445 003 OF 004 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 SEPTEMBER 16-23, 2007, 1 KIA, 5 WIA SEPTEMBER 24-30, 2007, 11 KIA, 15 WIA SEPTEMBER (full month),12 KIA, 32 WIA TOTAL 98 KIA, 192 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 SEPTEMBER 16-23, 2007, 21 KIA, 5 captured, 0 surrendered SEPTEMBER 24-30, 2007, 11 KIA, 3 captured, 5 surrendered September(full month),40 KIA, 15 captured,9 surrendered TOTAL 175 KIA, 138 Captured, 63 surrendered * Includes PKK suicide bomber from May 22 attack in Ankara CIVILIANS (KIA or WIA) JANUARY 0 KIA, 0 WIA 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 SEPTEMBER 16-23, 2007, 1 KIA, 0 WIA SEPTEMBER 24-30, 2007, 6 KIA, 1 WIA SEPTEMBER(full month),7 KIA, 1 WIA ANKARA 00002445 004 OF 004 TOTAL 26 KIA, 114 WIA * Includes 9 KIA and 100 WIA from May 22 Ankara bombing. WILSON