Turkey: Mortar fired from Syria martyrs 3 civilians

By Kemal Karagoz

SANLIURFA (AA) - A civilian died in southeastern Turkey on Saturday from wounds caused by a cross-border mortar attack.

Ismail Taskin breathed his last at the Suruc State Hospital in Sanliurfa province.

Two other civilians were martyred in the same attack on Friday when YPG/PKK terrorists targeted a house in the border district of Suruc.

Previously, seven civilians -- including five children -- were killed in border districts of Sanliurfa and Mardin provinces by YPG/PKK mortar and rocket attacks coming from across the border.

A nine-month-old baby, Muhammed Omar, and Cihan Gunes, a revenue assistant specialist, were martyred in YPG/PKK attacks targeting Akcakale district of Sanliurfa on Thursday.

Elif Terim and Mazlum Gunes, two children, who are both 11 years old, lost their lives at the hospital after being critically injured, in the Ceylanpinar district of Sanliurfa.

In Nusaybin district of Mardin province, Fatma Yildiz (48) and her daughters -- Emine (12) and Leyla (15) -- were also martyred on Thursday, as a result of the YPG/PKK attack.

Turkey on Wednesday launched Operation Peace Spring east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria to secure its borders by eliminating terrorist elements and to ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees and Syria’s territorial integrity.

Ankara wants to eliminate terrorist elements of the PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the PYD/YPG, from the region.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

*Writing by Dilara Hamit