Context
Five policemen and three civilians were killed in the southeastern province of Bitlis in a terrorist attack carried out by the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) on Tuesday. The attack took place in the predominantly Kurdish district of Güroymak in Southeast Turkey. A two year old girl was among the killed. Two injured police officers are also said to be in critical condition.
The blast is believed to be the work of PKK under orders by Syrain Bahoz Erdal, a senior member of the group. It was conducted in retaliation to the destruction of a PKK camp in Kavakli by Turkish forces last week. The camp was an important base for the Kurdish Communities Unions (KCK), the network which controls PKK. Nearly 20 people have been killed by attacks carried out by the group in the last few months. The Turkish government has also stepped up its operations against the party.
