Turkey: Paramilitary guard killed by IED in Kurdish-majority province

A paramilitary guard was killed and another injured by an improvised explosive device in Turkey's Kurdish-majority province of Sirnak on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in the district of Uludere in an area near a road construction site. The fatality was identified as 41-year-old Kerem Mehmetoglu.

Mezopotamya News Agency (MA) put the number of injured at two, one identified as Ramazan Akin, the other unidentified.

According to MA's report, a military vehicle traveling from the village of Roboski to a military post was targeted by the device.

A military operation was launched by Turkish forces in the region targeting Kurdish fighters affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), who are suspected of placing the explosive device.

Paramilitary guards serve under the Turkish Armed Forces, almost exclusively to assist Turkish troops in combating Kurdish fighters.

According to figures provided by Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, there were 54,000 guards in active duty in November 2019.