DERSIM, — An explosion in the central Ataturk district of Dersim city killed at least 7 Turkish soldiers on the mission, local sources said.
The explosion occurred at 18:00 while a Turkish military convoy was travelling through Ataturk district of Dersim city. The sound of explosion was heard around the city, the witnessed said.
Ambulances with police forces rushed to the scene as the flames rose above the vehicles destroyed by the explosion. The dead were taken to Dersim hospitals. No news about the number of wounded has been cast yet.
Units of Special Forces who have experiences in the counter-guerrilla fighting were also sent to the areas along with fighter jets and attack helicopters.
It should be noted that the recent months have witnessed the deadliest clashes between the Turkish army and the Kurdish guerrillas of PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party).
Zubeyir Aydar a member of Executive Council of KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union), an umbrella organisation of the PKK, said they were ready to resume talks to find a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue.
While the Kurdish leaders in North Kurdistan have repeatedly called upon Turkish government to sit and talk to work out a negotiated settlement, the Turkish government has repeated discarded such calls reducing the Kurdish problem to “war on terror” which could only be dealt with militaristic approach.