Police officer martyred in raid on PKK in SE Turkey

By Omer Yasin Ergin

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey

A police officer was martyred and nine others were injured in a raid on a PKK safe house in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir on Friday, the provincial governor’s office said.

Police were targeting a building in the Kayapinar district when terrorists opened fire, according to a statement from the Diyarbakir Governor's Office.

The ten injured officers were rushed to hospital but one died from his wounds, the statement added.

A PKK terrorist was killed during the operation, which was backed with air support.

On Thursday, eight security force members were also martyred fighting the PKK on the Iraqi border in Hakkari province, the military said. A ninth soldier was martyred in a separate incident in Hakkari’s Semdinli district.

Turkey has been carrying out operations against the PKK and its affiliated groups inside and outside of the country over the past two years.

According to the Interior Ministry and the Turkish General Staff, 57 PKK terrorists were killed across eastern Turkey on Thursday.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU as well as Turkey -- resumed its armed campaign in July 2015. Since then, it has killed more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including women and children.