| 2018 Gercüş bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of theKurdish–Turkish conflict (2015-present) | |
| Location |  Umutlu village,Gercüş,Batman Province,Turkey |
| Date | 4 October 2018 (2018-10-04) 06:00 (EEST) |
| Target | Turkish soldiers |
| Deaths | 8 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Perpetrators |  Kurdistan Workers' Party |
The2018 Gercüş bombing happened inGercüş,Batman Province in Umutlu village on 4 October 2018 around 6:00 (EEST) when Kurdistan Workers' Party militants detonated a remote-controlled bomb when anarmoured personnel carrier carrying soldiers toDargeçit,Mardin Province. 8 soldiers died and 1 other was heavily injured as a result.[1]
Theconflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) (designated aterrorist organisation by Turkey, theUnited States, theEuropean Union andNATO) has been active since 1984, primarily in the southeast of the country. More than 40,000 people have died as a result of the conflict.[2]
On 4 October 2018, around 6:00, a remote-controlled bomb hidden below the asphalt placed by PKK members on a road in Umutlu village ofGercüş was detonated when anarmoured personnel carrier carrying soldiers to Yemişli village ofDargeçit, forming a 1,5 meters deep and 4,5 meters wide pit[3] while killing 4 soldiers and injuring 5 others.[4][5][6] All 5 injured soldiers were rushed to the Batman State Hospital, where 3 of them died the same day.[7][8][9] Around 16:00, one of the heavily injured soldiers,senior master sergeant Yahya Şen was transferred to a hospital inGülhane Education and Research Hospital inAnkara but he died on the way to Ankara, increasing the death toll to 8.[10][11][12] The other soldier, Muhammet Salih Akyüz was heavily injured[13] but he survived. 7 of the killed soldiers weresenior master sergeants while the other one was anon-commissioned officer.[14] It was later determined that the bomb was planted in the road several days ago, but it went unnoticed.[15] An air-supported military operation was launched in region after the attack to capture perpetrators.[3]
