Turkey: Dual PKK attacks kill three soldiers in Hakkâri province February 1

Event

A pair of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) cross-border attacks killed three Turkish soldiers and left seven others wounded in Hakkâri province on Thursday, February 1. The first attack killed at least one soldier and severely wounded five others. According to local media reports, PKK militants launched a guided missile from Iraq which struck a Turkish military base near Güven Mountain.

Suspected PKK militants reportedly launched a second cross-border attack on Şemdinli district (Hakkâri province) around 14:00 (local time) on Thursday, killing at least two soldiers and wounding two more. Further details regarding the attacks are still emerging.

Additional PKK militant attacks are possible in nearby areas in the coming weeks.

Context

Tensions between the Turkish state and Kurdish populations have intensified since the launch of Operation Olive Branch on January 20. The operation aims to target the People's Protection Units militia (YPG) - considered by Ankara as a terrorist organization and ally of the outlawed PKK - in Kurdish-controlled northern Syria.

Turkey has faced a Kurdish insurgency since 1984, spearheaded by the PKK. The conflict has killed over 40,000 people in the decades since and associated violence continues to pose a security risk in Turkey.

Advice

Individuals in Hakkâri province are advised to remain vigilant and adhere to any instructions issued by the local authorities. Due to the Turkish government's ongoing conflicts with the PKK as well as the Islamic State (IS), some Western governments advise against travel to areas along the Syrian and Iraqi borders, as well as nonessential travel to the provinces of Şırnak, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Mardin, Şanlıurfa, Kilis, Hatay, Siirt, Tunceli, and Hakkâri.