Kurd rebels launch attack on dam construction

Kurdish rebels have raided a dam construction site in south-east Turkey, kidnapping eight workers and burning down ten construction machines.

The attack occurred near the town of Sirvan in south-eastern Siirt province late on Thursday, the local governor’s office announced. The rebels later released four of the kidnapped workers.

The incident means the number of people kidnapped by the rebels has increased to at least nine, including two soldiers, since July, when the guerrillas stepped up their attacks on Turkish troops.

In response, Turkey last month bombed several suspected rebel positions in northern Iraq.

Last night, Turkey said it was sending a senior official, Feridun Sinirlioglu, to Iraq to seek closer co-operation in the fight against the rebels. Sinirlioglu will travel to Baghdad today and will also visit Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq.

The announcement coincided with a visit by Turkey’s military chief, Gen Necdet Ozel, to a military unit located near Hakkari, close to the Iraqi border. Authorities have denied media speculation of a possible cross-border offensive. The last major Turkish air-and-ground offensive against Kurdish rebel bases in northern Iraq was in early 2008.

Tens of thousands of people have died in the conflict since 1984. MARGARET NEIGHBOUR