Cablegate: Update On Pkk Violence (February 16-23, 2008)

VZCZCXRO6146
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAK #0348 0560845
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250845Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5333
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP:PDUSDP/ISA:EUR/ISA:NESA//
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5//
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/425ABG IZMIR TU//CC//
RHMFISS/39ABG INCIRLIK AB TU
RUEPGAB/MNF-I C2X BAGHDAD IZ

UNCLAS ANKARA 000348

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: Update on PKK Violence (February 16-23, 2008)

REF: ANKARA 302 and previous

(U) Sensitive but unclassified - please protect accordingly.

1. (SBU) This is another in a series of weekly reports on PKK
violence in Turkey. Our primary source is the Turkish General Staff
(TGS) website, which documents contacts and clashes with the PKK, as
well as casualties incurred.

2. (U) During the February 16-23, 2008 reporting period, two
security officials were killed in clashes after the Turkish land
forces entered northern Iraq on February 21. Another security force
member was killed and one was injured in an IED explosion in Bingol
Province on February 23. The total number of security force
casualties for the year through February 23, 2008 was three killed
and 18 injured.

3. (U) During the same period, 79 PKK terrorists were reported
killed in the cross border operation (CBO). One PKKer was captured
and three PKKers surrendered inside Turkey. According to official
TGS website figures, through the third week of February, the number
of PKK militants killed this year was 89, the number of those
captured was 41, and the number of those who surrendered was 23.

4. (U) There were no incidents involving civilian casualties during
the reporting period. Civilian casualties for the year through the
end of the third week of February remain at seven killed, with
another 49 wounded, in the January 3 Diyarbakir explosion.

WILSON

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