Update on PKK Violence (October 24-31, 2007)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 002739 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (October 24-31, 2007) REF: ANKARA 2677 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 source is the Turkish General Staff (TGS) website, which documents contacts and clashes with the PKK as well as casualties incurred. The TGS does not account for police casualties and the Ministry of Interior casualty date is not made public. As a result, actual numbers for total Turkish law enforcement casualties are higher than the figures in this cable. 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 October 24-31, 2007 reporting period, four GOT security officials were killed, including one in a mine blast. One security official was injured in an explosion. ¶3. (U) 45 PKK terrorists were killed during the same period. Seven PKKers were captured. ¶4. (U) The TGS website reported 13 clashes between security forces and PKK terrorists. However, subsequent to an October 21 ambush that resulted in the deaths of 12 soldiers, the Turkish military has been continuing non-stop operations in the region. Security forces discovered at least 17 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) Security forces reportedly detected at least 11 PKK explosive devices in SE Turkey during the reporting period, detonating several of them in controlled fashion before they could explode. ¶6. (U) Activity as reported by TGS website: CLASHES (NUMBER) May 2007, 40 June 2007, 40 July 2007, 15 August 2007, 12 September 2007, 35 October 1-7, 9 October 8-15, 1 October 16-23, 1 October 24-31, 13 October 2007 (entire month),24 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 2007 12 KIA, 32 WIA October 1-7, 2007 15 KIA, 10 WIA October 8-15, 2007 2 KIA, 3 WIA ANKARA 00002739 002 OF 004 October 16-23, 2007 13 KIA, 17 WIA October 24-31, 2007 4 KIA, 1 WIA October 2007 (entire month) 34 KIA, 21 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 2007 40 KIA, 15 captured, 9 surrendered October 1-7, 2007 4 KIA, 4 captured, 0 surrendered October 8-15, 2007 1 KIA, 3 captured, 4 surrendered October 16-23, 2007 35 KIA, 4 captured, 0 surrendered October 24-31, 2007 45 KIA, 7 captured, 0 surrendered October 2007 (entire month) 85 KIA, 18 captured, 4 surrendered CACHES RECOVERED (NUMBER) May 2007, 113 June 2007, 50 July 2007, 28 August 2007, 40 September 2007, 119 October 1-7, 2007, 24 October 8-15, 2007, 9 October 16-23, 2007, 1 October 24-31, 2007, 17 October 2007 (entire month),51 ¶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 12 KIA, 32 WIA October 1-7, 2007 15 KIA, 10 WIA October 8-15, 2007 2 KIA, 3 WIA ANKARA 00002739 003 OF 004 October 16-23, 2007 13 KIA, 17 WIA October 24-31, 2007 4 KIA, 1 WIA October 2007 (entire month) 34 KIA, 21 WIA TOTAL 132 KIA, 223 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 40 KIA, 15 captured, 9 surrendered OCTOBER 1-7 4 KIA, 4 Captured, 0 surrendered OCTOBER 8-15 1 KIA, 3 captured, 4 surrendered OCTOBER 16-23 35 KIA, 4 captured, 0 surrendered OCTOBER 24-31 45 KIA, 7 captured 0 surrendered OCTOBER 2007 (entire month) 85 KIA, 18 captured, 4 surrendered TOTAL 260 KIA, 156 Captured, 71 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 7 KIA, 1 WIA OCTOBER 1-7 0 KIA, 0 WIA OCTOBER 8-15 0 KIA, 0 WIA OCTOBER 16-23 0 KIA, 18 WIA OCTOBER 24-31 0 KIA, 1 WIA OCTOBER 2007 (entire month) 0 KIA, 19 WIA TOTAL 26 KIA, 133 WIA ANKARA 00002739 004 OF 004 * Includes 9 KIA and 100 WIA from May 22 Ankara bombing. WILSON