Reuters AlertNet Lite - Turk troops escaped east Turkey suicide attack

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Turk troops escaped east Turkey suicide attack

24 Jun 2007 08:17:04 GMT
Source: Reuters

TUNCELI, Turkey, June 24 (Reuters) - Turkish paramilitary police escaped unscathed from a suicide attack by Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) guerrillas late on Saturday, the provincial governor said on Sunday.

PKK militants attacked a paramilitary police station in the eastern Turkish province of Tunceli using a truck filled with oil, and clashes had followed on Saturday night, army sources said.

But on Sunday Tunceli Governor Mustafa Yaman said the gendarme police, who work alongside the army and are responsible for security in rural areas, had anticipated the attack and fled to avoid being hurt, and no one was killed.

Two militants had stolen a truck carrying oil and killed themselves when they blew it up, the governor said.

A recent escalation in violence in east and southeastern Turkey, where the PKK has been fighting for a homeland since 1984, has prompted the armed forces to call for an operation into northern Iraq to deal with militants based there.

The government, which faces elections next month, has said it agrees with the army and an operation could be launched if necessary, but has not reconvened parliament to approve such a move.

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Last updated:Sun Jun 24 08:18:10 2007