Riot police attacked in eastern Turkey, 6 martyred

By Abdullah Celik and Aydin Arik

BINGOL, Turkey

At least six riot police officers were martyred and four others injured in a PKK bomb attack in eastern Turkey Monday, officials said.

The incident happened in the eastern Bingol province when PKK terrorists detonated an explosive-laden car targeting an armored police vehicle.

Bingol Governor Yavuz Selim Kosger said the attack was carried out by a camouflaged parked car waiting for a police bus, which was coming from a change of guard at Bingol Airport.

"This hateful incident was carried out by an explosive-laden vehicle parked on the roadside.

"The vehicle was camouflaged on the roadside with a Turkish flag on its back and detonated when the police bus passed by," Kosger said.

"To date, six police were martyred and four others wounded," said the governor.

Two police were airlifted to Elazig Firat University Hospital, about 150 kilometers from Bingol, whereas two others – one in intensive care – were getting medical treatment in Bingol.

He said an operation to capture the terrorists was underway.

Meanwhile, Bingol residents gathered in front of the hospital where the injured were under treatment and shouted anti-PKK slogans.

The PKK – listed as a terrorist organization also by the U.S. and the EU – resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015.

Since then, over 600 security personnel, including troops, police officers and village guards have been martyred and more than 7,000 PKK terrorists killed or neutralized in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.