ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Sulaimani security forces on Saturday announced the arrest of the alleged killer of a Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) member who was gunned down on Friday. He is also accused of injuring a second person affiliated with the PKK. Yasin Bulut, also known as Shukri Sarhat, was a member of the PKK’s Families of Martyrs Committee for 15 years. The 65-year-old man was shot dead in Sulaimani city early Friday. The ID the victim was carrying identified him as Yousif Murad. Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani condemned the attack on Friday, calling on the security forces to arrest the perpetrator as soon as possible. On Talabani’s orders, an operation cell was formed by Sulaimani’s security forces who were “able to reveal the plan in less than 24 hours and arrest the main perpetrator of both incidents,” read a statement from the operation cell. They did not name the victims or the suspect who was arrested. The person who was injured in Sulaimani on Thursday has been named as Ferhat Baris. The PKK blamed Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) for both incidents. Ankara has not commented. The PKK is an armed group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara. Turkish forces regularly pursue the PKK within the Kurdistan Region’s borders where the group has its headquarters.
