Turkish Kurd rebels attack Kurd

[kurdeng at aps.nl]

Subject: Re: Turkish Kurd rebels attack Kurds in north Iraq


           id VT17982; Sat, 16 Sep 1995 22:42:40 -0800

-------------- Forwarded from : nytmx at mit.xs4all.nl (NY Transfer) --------------


Turkish Kurd rebels attack Kurds in north Iraq

    DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Sept 12 (Reuter) - Turkish Kurdish
rebels killed eight Iraqi Kurdish guards and wounded three
Turkish truck drivers in two separate attacks in northern Iraq,
Iraqi Kurdish officials said on Tuesday.
    The rebels, from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), opened
fire on a guardpost in the Begova area of north Iraq, on Monday
night, Iraqi Kurdish officials in the southeastern Turkish city
of Diyarbakir said.
    The PKK, fighting for autonomy or independence in southeast
Turkey, killed eight guards from the Iraqi Kurdish Kurdistan
Democratic Party (KDP) and wounded eight, the officials said.
    There was no independent confirmation.
    The attack was carried out as representatives from the KDP
and rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) were expected on
Tuesday to start a second round of U.S.-sponsored talks in
Dublin to end a 15-month feud that has split the region between
rival militias.
    Since talks were first held last month officials have said
that the PKK has emerged from mountain camps in the region and
attacked KDP-held territory, a mountainious area that borders
Turkey.
    Turkish Kurdish political analysts say the PKK wants to
establish itself as a third force in the region and derail the
peace talks, fearful any agreement could force the shutdown of
its military bases in northern Iraq.
    In another attack, PKK rebels opened fire on Turkish truck
drivers at the KDP-controlled Ibrahim Khalil border post in
northern Iraq.
    KDP officials said the PKK was apparently trying to stop the
border trade which has funded KDP coffers and is one reason why
fighting broke out between the two Iraqi Kurdish groups.
    Northern Iraq is protected from possible attacks by the
Iraqi army by U.S., French and British planes that have
patrolled the skies since shortly after the 1991 Gulf War.
    Meanwhile, in southeast Turkey PKK guerrillas opened fire on
a police car travelling on a road near Diyarbakir, wounding two
officers, local officials said.
    Nearly 18,000 people have died in the 11-year-old conflict
between the PKK and the Turkish authorities.
Reut10:24 09-12-95

Reuter N:Copyright 1995, Reuters News Service