On Oct. 21, at least 13 Turkish soldiers were killed in a PKK attack on
a military outpost about five kilometers from the Iraqi border. Officials
said up to 200 PKK fighters assaulted the military outpost in one of the
largest and most well-coordinated operations by the Kurdish insurgency
movement, Middle East Newsline reported. Since 2004, the PKK has usually deployed squads of six to eight
operatives.
"This was probably the largest and best-coordinated attack by the PKK in
15 years," the official said.
The PKK also blew up a bridge outside Daglica to prevent Turkish
military reinforcements. The PKK assault on the Turkish outpost included the
use of rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and machine-guns. PKK combatants
also captured eight Turkish soldiers.
''Despite all search efforts, no contact has been established with eight
missing personnel since shortly after the armed attack on the military
unit,'' the Turkish military said in a statement.
Over the last few weeks, officials said, the PKK has launched strikes of
50 or more fighters against Turkish military and police targets. On Oct. 7,
50 PKK combatants ambushed a Turkish patrol in which 13 soldiers were
killed.
Turkey has amassed between 70,000 and 100,000 soldiers along the Iraqi
border. Officials said Turkey was operating U.S.-origin AH-1S Cobra attack
helicopters and F-16 multi-role fighters in what could mark an incursion
into Iraq.
"The general expectation is that, if and when it comes, military action
is likely to involve limited operation against PKK positions — including
helicopter-borne commando raids and the bombing of PKK camps by F-16 —
rather than a full-scale invasion," Gareth Jenkins, an analyst based in
Istanbul, said.
