Two killed, 8 injured in PKK bombing in eastern Turkey

In an explosion that occurred in eastern Turkey’s Van province on Monday, two people were killed and eight others were injured Monday.

The explosion occurred on a road near the Narlı neighborhood at around 6 p.m. local time, authorities said, adding that the van was carrying road workers back home when it was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by PKK terrorists on the roadside.

Numerous security forces and emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene. Two of the passengers were declared dead on the scene while eight were transferred to nearby hospitals, some of them with critical injuries.

Shortly after the incident, the office of the Van Governorate issued a statement saying that a large-scale anti-terror operation was launched in the area following the explosion.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

Meanwhile, the Turkish security forces dealt a major blow to the terrorist group by killing at least 303 PKK/YPG members and arresting 177 of them between March 1 and May 31.

Out of the 177 suspects, 81 high-ranking terrorists have been put under arrest.

The first operation that netted high-ranking members took place on March 9, when two PKK terrorists, both of whom have been a member of the PKK for over 20 years, were captured in eastern Turkey’s Van.

The two terrorists were later identified as the bodyguards of the PKK heads, Murat Karayılan and Cemil Bayık. In their testimonies, they confessed that the PKK was in a panic mode due to Turkey’s ongoing counterterrorism operations.