18 killed in PKK car bomb attack in south-east TurkeyOctober 10, 2016 - 11:21 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A car bomb attack by Kurdish militants on a checkpoint in south-east Turkey has killed 10 soldiers and eight civilians, Turkish officials say, according to BBC News. The attack in Durak came as soldiers had stopped a car for inspection. A statement said 26 people were wounded in the blast, 10 of them soldiers. No group has admitted the attack. Turkey has been fighting a Kurdish insurgency for decades and fears Kurdish gains in neighbouring Syria will fuel Kurdish separatism at home. A statement by the Turkish army said the attack occurred at 09:45 (06:45 GMT) outside a gendarmerie checkpoint some 20km (12 miles) from the town of Semdinli, Hakkari province. The governor of the province Cuneyit Orhan Toprak said the attackers had first opened fire on the soldiers at the checkpoint to distract them before driving a minivan and detonating it. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said it had been perpetrated by "a suicide bomber who detonated a van with five tons of explosives". A string of attacks by the Kurdish militant PKK have targeted Turkish security forces since the collapse of a ceasefire last year. Turkish military operations in the south-east and retaliatory attacks by the PKK have left hundreds of people dead. The government has ruled out any negotiations until the group completely disarms. The latest violence comes as the army reels from a huge purge following a coup attempt in July. Turkey is also battling so-called Islamic State (IS), whose militants have carried out a series of bloody attacks over the past year. The PKK launched its insurgency in 1984, alleging widespread abuse and discrimination against Kurds by Turkish authorities. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | U.S. believes peace is “possible” in South Caucasus The United States continues to believe that peace is possible in the South Caucasus, Vedant Patel said. Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. |