Turkey: Airstrikes target Kurdish militants in southeast July 11

Event

The Turkish army announced on Tuesday, July 11, that it carried out airstrikes against two Kurdish militant targets in the southeast of the country overnight July 10-11. The strikes killed eight fighters believed to belong to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the Dargecit district of Mardin province, as well as three others in the countryside of Hakkari province.

Context

The PKK is an armed separatist group based in Iraq and Turkey. It has been involved in an armed conflict with Turkey since 1984 and is widely regarded as a terrorist organization by the international community. Since the crumbling of a two-year ceasefire in 2015, clashes between militants and Turkish security forces have resumed, spurring particularly fierce instances of violence.

The Dargecit district is situated near the Syrian border, while Hakkari province borders Iraq and Iran.

Advice

Individuals present in southeast Turkey are advised to remain vigilant due to the high risk of terrorist attacks and military activity.

The security environment in the area remains complex. Although travel is permissible in some areas, other areas should be considered strictly off limits. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to all travel.