PKK terrorists becoming victims of their own attacks

Outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists have fallen into their own traps on occasion in recent years, researcher and author Mustafa Yakutcan told Today’s Zaman.

Yakutcan, who will publish a book on his research on unsolved murders, suicide bombers, terrorist attacks and suspicious suicides in the Southeast as well as suspicious fires in the region, stated that the number of terrorists who have failed to bring to completion their attempts to stage suicide bomb attacks, remote controlled bomb attacks or other bomb attacks has increased over the past few years. Yakutcan attributed this to the recent effectiveness of Turkey’s counterterrorism efforts against PKK terrorism. He said one of the reasons for this is that the PKK units providing weapons and explosives training to militants have been destroyed by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and police force, and therefore, there are not as many professional bombers in the terrorist organization to make bombs and stage attacks. He added that this is why novice and young bombers have tried to stage attacks in recent years and why most of these bombers have failed in completing the attacks, setting off their bombs accidently in their hands. Pointing out that the PKK has been using minors in its attacks in recent years, Yakutcan said: “The PKK can no longer move freely on Turkish soil, it cannot organize bomb attacks as successfully as it could in previous years and it doesn’t have many chances to train and motivate its bombers in Turkey because the TSK doesn’t allow it do so with its operations and measures against the organization in the eastern and southeastern parts of Turkey. The terrorist organization, therefore, has begun to use children and inexperienced bombers in its attacks. ” One of the failed PKK bomb attacks occurred on Wednesday in the Viranşehir district of Urfa province. Twenty-two-year old Hüseyin G., who planned to throw a handmade bomb at the Viranşehir Technical and Vocational High School for Girls, failed to complete the attack as the bomb reportedly exploded in his hands. After sustaining severe injuries in the explosion, Hüseyin was taken to the state hospital in Viranşehir. Three of his fingers were blown off in the incident. While the police were examining the area, they found the fingers and took them to the hospital, where doctors were able to reattach them. Following an investigation into the incident, the police revealed that Hüseyin G. had been released by the court pending trial because of his involvement in illegal activities carried out by the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy (BDP) over the past seven months, and for spreading PKK propaganda. Counterterrorism and crime scene investigation teams examined the scene and found that terrorist Hüseyin G. had used a handmade cluster bomb made out of a coke can. The police detained three suspects -- Mahmuk K., Resul D. and Ali K. -- in connection with the incident. During a search at the workplace of Resul D., the police found a laptop and hard disk believed to be connected to the incident. The police also found two-and-a-half kilograms of marijuana and 109 kilograms of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) as well as an unlicensed weapon while searching the house of detainee Ali K. The police will detain Hüseyin G. after he has completed his medical treatment. In another failed attack by the PKK, which took place in Adana province on July 19, a 17-year-old PKK terrorist, M. A., tried to throw a hand grenade at police officers during an illegal protest held by PKK sympathizers and was injured when it exploded in his hands accidently. The teenager was taken to the hospital and then detained by the police. On July 5, a bomb exploded in a protestor’s hand while they were attempting to throw it at police officers during a BDP demonstration held in Diyarbakır. The police found a second bomb in the protestor’s pocket while they were taking him to the hospital. Meanwhile, two PKK terrorists -- Gülizar Turhan (18) and Mazlum Singil (23) -- were planning to attack a primary school in the Tuzla district of İstanbul on April 23, but the percussion bomb placed inside a backpack exploded accidently as they were opening the backpack in a park. After they caught fire by flames caused by the explosion, the two terrorists were rescued by bystanders. source: todayszaman