Terrorists Blow Up Oil Pipeline in Turkey

The Kirkuk-Yumurtalık oil pipeline that delivers Iraqi fuel to Turkey has been blown up by terrorists in the Şırnak Province in the country’s southeast, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said Wednesday.

ANKARA (Sputnik) – Yildiz said that both this and the previous terrorist attacks on Turkey’s energy facilities show that terrorists are attempting to destabilize the situation in the country.

“Last night at [22:30 GMT], terrorists blew up the Kirkuk-Yumurtalık oil pipeline in the Şırnak Province five kilometers from the city of Cizre. Immediately after the incident, the oil pipeline was shut down. Thanks to the quick measures taken, the terrorist act did not cause a deficit to energy suppliers in our country,” Yildiz said in a statement.

Several insurgent attacks have taken place in Turkey in recent days.

On July 20, at least 32 people, most of them Kurds, were killed in a suicide bombing in the Turkish border city of Suruc. Islamic State (IS) took responsibility for the attack. Two days later, two police officers were murdered in the southern Turkish city of Ceylanpinar. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) claimed responsibility for the assassinations, saying the policemen had links with IS.

On Friday, Turkey launched a two-front military campaign against IS and the PKK. The military action sparked clashes between police and rioters in the country.

On Tuesday, PKK militia members blew up two bridges in southeastern Turkey.