The Death Toll from the Explosion Near the Turkey-Iran Border Reaches 18

The number of victims from an attack on a Turkish gendarmerie station near the border with Iran has reached 18. The Turkish state news agency has identified the PKK group as responsible for the attack. According to AFP, ten of the deceased are military personnel and eight are civilians. This attack is described as the "deadliest" assault on Turkish security forces since the failed coup in July. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim stated in a press conference in Istanbul that the attack was a suicide bombing, utilizing five tons of explosives. The attack occurred near the city of Şemdinan (Turkish: Şemdinli) in Hakkari province. The Hakkari governorate's statement indicated that the attackers were shot at by gendarmerie forces after ignoring a warning to stop. They then opened fire themselves. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has also blamed the PKK for the attack, reported that 27 people were injured in the incident. According to the state news agency Anadolu, at least 16 of the injured are civilians. The official Turkish news agency also reported that the massive explosion created a "seven-meter crater" at the site. In response to the attack, the Turkish army has launched a large-scale operation, and according to the governorate, special forces are searching for the militants. Hakkari is a center of PKK activity, and military operations in the area are not new. Since the ceasefire and negotiations between the government and PKK militants collapsed after two and a half years of efforts in 2015, the group has carried out successive attacks, while the Turkish army and security forces have also responded with extensive actions. According to official reports from Ankara, over 600 security personnel and 7,000 militants have been killed during this time.