An attack on a military vehicle by the Kurdistan Workers'
Party, or PKK, wounded around 28 soldiers and damaged a pipeline in Turkey late
Thursday, disrupting the flow of natural gas from Iran.
The blast took place in the Eleskirt town of the province at 23:25 local time
Thursday, a spokesman for the governorship of the eastern province of Agri
confirmed Friday in a telephone interview.
"The cause of the explosion was sabotage and the gas flow will probably
resume in a week," said the spokesman, who declined to be identified.
The pipeline disruption will be handled by Turkey's state-owned Boru Hatlari
ile Petrol Tasima AS. Also called BOTAS, the national pipeline operator is
involved with projects to transport oil and gas from Iran, Iraq, Russia and Azerbaijan.
At least 28 soldiers were wounded in the attack by the PKK, which remotely
detonated a roadside bomb as the army was transporting troops alongside the
pipeline, Agri Governor Mehmet Tekinarslan said, according to Turkey's
state-run Anatolia news agency.
Most of the troops affected by the blast suffered slight burns, but there were
also a few with severe injuries, the authorities said, without proving further
details.
The PKK, which has been fighting for autonomy in southeastern Turkey since 1984, in a conflict that
has cost more than 40,000 lives, and has repeatedly targeted pipelines in the
country that carry natural gas and oil from Iran and Iraq. The PKK is listed as a terrorist
organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.
Over the past year, the PKK and Turkey have been locked in the most violent
clashes since the 1990s, resulting in the death of more than 700 people,
according to the International Crisis Group.
Natural gas flows from Iran to Turkey stopped after a pipeline blast
earlier in October, near the town of Dogubeyazit, also in the Agri province and
by Mount Ararat. Gas deliveries resumed after a week.