Shooter responsible for killing off-duty soldiers among detained suspects: Governor’s office

A shooter who allegedly helped kill three off-duty soldiers in Hakkari’s Yüksekova district on Oct. 25 is among three suspects who was detained in a late-night operation, the Hakkari Governor’s Office said in a statement Oct. 27.

The shooter, identified as K.T., has also been charged for injuring another soldier last July, the statement read. The number of suspects who are currently being held as part of the investigation is now seven.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has also confirmed that those who are thought to be responsible for the attack based on evidence have been captured.

Three soldiers were gunned down by masked assailants in the middle of the afternoon on Oct. 25 while walking in the town center of Yüksekova. After footage of the scene taken shortly after the killings spread online, the authorities issued a ban on footage and photos.

The attack was the latest episode in escalating violence in southeastern Turkey since the deadly demonstrations of support for the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane, which has long been besieged by Islamist fighters.

The General Staff said in a statement that the attack is thought to have been carried out by three outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants, while Interior Minister Efkan Ala said it was staged by “two masked individuals.”

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said the PKK would not get away with the killing, but also vowed to advance the ongoing Kurdish peace process, which has entered its most sensitive phase since its start.