Turkey has seen another terrorist attack this morning as a minibus traveling with passengers in an area near the Iraq and Iran border was hit by an IED killing between 8 and 10 people. As the story from Reuters via Breitbart states, while this normally would be blamed on the Kurdish group PKK, it's unusual that that group would attack a civilian target. Nearly every attack I've ever seen by the PKK out of Iraq has been on Turkish military targets.
What Reuters won't admit here is that Turkey has had more than its share of al Qaeda attacks over the years and an IED obviously fits the m.o. of al Qaeda along with the fact that al Qaeda would like nothing more than to keep the Turks and the PKK warring with each other. The Kurds in Iraq certainly have their share of al Qaeda in Iraq scalps hanging in their barracks in Iraq.
I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see al Qaeda or some splinter group linked to them claim responsibility for this later today or tomorrow.
What Reuters won't admit here is that Turkey has had more than its share of al Qaeda attacks over the years and an IED obviously fits the m.o. of al Qaeda along with the fact that al Qaeda would like nothing more than to keep the Turks and the PKK warring with each other. The Kurds in Iraq certainly have their share of al Qaeda in Iraq scalps hanging in their barracks in Iraq.
I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see al Qaeda or some splinter group linked to them claim responsibility for this later today or tomorrow.
At least 8 die in minibus blast in southeast Turkey
(Reuters) - At least eight people were killed and three wounded when an explosive device ripped apart their minibus in southeast Turkey on Thursday, local officials said.
The blast occurred near the village of Gecitli in Hakkari province near the borders with Iraq and Iran.
Resul Kaya, mayor of the nearby town of Durankaya, told Reuters nine people died when the minibus hit a land mine. Security officials said it was a remote-controlled explosive device left in the road.
Those officials earlier said that at least 10 people had died. The Hakkari governor's office put the death toll at eight people, state-run Anatolian news agency reported.
Separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants have frequently carried out similar attacks in the past.
However, such attacks are generally on military targets and the PKK declared a ceasefire last month, which is not due to expire until September 20.
Before that ceasefire there had been an upsurge in violence between the military and the rebels since June when the PKK ended a previous 14-month unilateral ceasefire.
Several thousand PKK guerrillas are based in the mountains of northern Iraq, from where they regularly launch raids in southeast Turkey.
The group took up arms against Turkey in 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly Kurds, have died in the fighting.
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