Reports: 3 Turkish soldiers killed in alleged PKK attack

ERBIL, Kurdistan Regoin – Three Turkish soldiers were reportedly killed and two other wounded by a blast Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish city of Sirnak in Turkey, local media has reported. 

The Hurriyet Daily News reported that a mine, allegedly laid on a road by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), was the cause of the casualties. 

The mine exploded at around 8am during a routine check of the road linking Şırnak and the town of Balveren, the Hurriyet reported. 

According to the state-run Anadolu news agency, the vehicle carrying the Turkish troops was then attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire in the vicinity of Arakoy village.

Anadolu added that Turkish security forces and air support were deployed to the area in order to apprehend the suspected PKK militants.

The Sirnak attack came two days after two Turkish soldiers were killed and 24 others wounded in a suspected suicide attack in eastern Agri province.  According to an earlier Anadolu report, the Agri Governor’s Office blamed that attack on the PKK.