Iran Press/ Asia: The Turkish Defense Ministry said the explosion occurred “while firing heavy weapons ammunition” at a military base in Süngü Tepe in the ?emdinli district of Hakkari near Turkey’s borders with Iraq and Iran on Friday evening.
Twenty-five soldiers were hospitalized, but officials did not give details on the severity of their injuries. Seven soldiers were missing, the Turkish Defense Ministry said, according to Daily Sabah.
An investigation has been launched into the incident while a Turkish court has imposed a broadcasting ban on media outlets preventing them from covering developments related to the tragedy.
The Hakkari Governor’s Office said in a statement that “defective” ammunition exploded during artillery fire. It was not clear whether this happened during a combat mission, or an exercise.
Following the explosion, Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Land Forces Commander Gen. Ümit Dündar travelled to Hakkari to visit the site of the incident.
Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish Southeast has seen years of violent fighting between the Turkish military and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Over the past few months, Turkish ground and air forces have been carrying out operations against PKK positions in the country as well as in northern Iraq and neighboring Syria.
More than 40,000 people have been killed during the three-decade conflict between Turkey and the autonomy-seeking militant group.
PKK has been responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children. 101/201
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