Police officer succumbs to wounds post SE Turkey attack

By Serdar Acil and Selahattin Erol

MARDIN, Turkey (AA) - A police officer succumbed to his wounds Thursday following a car bomb attack by PKK terrorists on a police station in southeast Turkey's Mardin province Wednesday, a security source said.

According to the source, who spoke to Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, the seriously wounded police officer was taken to a military hospital in neighboring Diyarbakir province, but despite best efforts to save his life, the officer succumbed to his wounds.

On Wednesday, two female police officers were martyred and three civilians were killed in a car bomb attack on a police station in Mardin’s Midyat district.

One of the slain police officers was six-months pregnant when she was pronounced dead at a local hospital. A total of 51 people, including 23 civilians were also injured in the attack.

Mardin is among southeastern provinces that have seen heightened PKK activity since the group -- listed as a terrorist organization also by the U.S. and EU -- resumed its armed campaign in July last year.

During that period, around 500 security personnel have been martyred and more than 4,900 PKK terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.

*Anadolu Agency correspondent Emin Avundukluoglu contributed to this story from Ankara.