Conflict in Hakkari’s Çukurca, Helicopter Crashes

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Eight soldiers and six Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members have lost their lives in the conflict erupted in Çukurcuma district of Hakkari. The General Staff has announced that two of the soldiers killed due to helicopter heading to the conflict zone crashing. The statement informed that the helicopter crashed due to a technical malfunction.

The General Staff’s statement on its official website is as follows:

“Our six hero fellow soldiers martyred, other eight wounded during the armed conflict breaking out between the terrorists in Hakkari Çukurca Çığlı Base Area at around 4:50 a.m. on May 13, 2016 Friday”.

“Technical malfunction”

“A Cobra helicopter dispatched to the zone to intervene in the terrorists had a fatal accident in Hakkari’s Çukurca area at around 5:50 a.m. Our two hero fellow soldiers of one whom is the helicopter pilot martyred in this painful accident thought to be caused by a technical malfunction. Examination and research into the incident is ongoing”.

The statement declared that F-16 jet, assault helicopter, unmanned air vehicle and reinforcement units have been dispatched to the area.

ANF: PKK shot it down

ANF in its report based on local sources reported that the helicopter was shot down by the PKK. It expressed that People’s Defence Forces (HPG) hasn’t made a statement. (HK/TK)

Photo: Hakkari, Çığlı, Archive/AA