Update on PKK Violence (August 24-31, 2008)

UNCLAS ANKARA 001588 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (August 24-31, 2008) REF: ANKARA 1546 and previous (U) Sensitive but unclassified - please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) This is another in a series of weekly 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. ¶2. (U) During the August 24-31, 2008 reporting period, eight security officials died in clashes in three separate incidents and one soldier, who was injured in a bombing in Izmir on August 21, died. The total number of security force casualties for the year through August 31, 2008, was 89 killed and 151 injured. ¶3. (U) During the same period, 15 PKK terrorists were killed in clashes in four separate incidents. No PKKer surrendered or was captured. According to official TGS website figures, through the fourth week of August, the number of PKK militants killed this year was 582, the number of those captured was 126, and the number of those who surrendered was 106. ¶4. (U) During the reporting period one citizen was kidnapped by the PKK in Yuksekova, Hakkari Province on August 26. The total number of civilian casualties for the year through the end of the fourth week of August remained 41 killed, with another 238 wounded. WILSON