Terrorists who prepared car bomb killed in east Turkey

By Cemal Asan and Hasan Namli

ANKARA (AA) - Security forces in eastern Turkey on Tuesday killed three PKK terrorists who had prepared a vehicle bomb for an attack, local officials said.

They were killed in Gurpinar, a large district that lies to the south of Lake Van, during an operation backed by the Turkish Air Force, the provincial governor’s office said in a statement.

According to the governor’s office, the trio had packed a vehicle with explosives on Monday in preparation for an attack. The device was neutralized by security forces on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, two other PKK members were killed in counter-terrorism operations in Kulp and Cermik, separate districts in the north of Diyarbakir province, on Sunday night. Another terror suspect was captured, the governor’s office said.

Security forces also seized weapons and ammunition and destroyed two shelters and 250 kilograms (550 pounds) of ammonium nitrate, an ingredient in bomb making.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015. Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians.