Turkey attacks: Deadly violence in Istanbul and Sirnak

A wave of violent attacks hit Turkey on Monday, with five members of the security forces killed in the south-east and a bomb blast in Istanbul. Separately, two assailants opened fire outside the US consulate in Istanbul, but no-one was injured or killed. Four police were killed by a blast on a road in Sirnak province. Shortly after, gunmen opened fire on a military helicopter, killing one soldier. Tension between the Turkish government and Kurdish militants has been rising. Turkey also recently announced it was taking a more active role against Islamic State (IS) militants. No group has yet said it carried out any of the attacks.

Istanbul Attacks

The US consulate attackers fled when police shot back, but one of the two assailants, thought to be a woman, was later arrested, Turkish media reported. The consulate said in a tweet that it was closed until further notice. In the attack on the police station in the district of Sultanbeyli, a car bomb was detonated, injuring 10 people, including three police officers. Two suspected militants were killed in ensuing clashes with police and an injured police officer died later in hospital, reports say.

PKK conflict

Following the attack on the military helicopter in Sirnak province, Turkish helicopters bombed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) targets in retaliation. A ceasefire in the long-running conflict with the group appeared to disintegrate in July, when Turkey began bombing PKK camps in northern Iraq, at the same time as launching air strikes on IS militants. PKK leader Cemil Bayik has accused Turkey of trying to protect IS by attacking Kurdish fighters. „They are doing it to limit the PKK’s fight against IS. Turkey is protecting IS,” he told the BBC in an interview. Kurdish fighters – among them the PKK – have secured significant victories against IS militants in Syria and Iraq. But Turkey, like a number of Western countries, considers the PKK a terrorist organisation.

Source: www.bbc.com