ANKARA, Turkey, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- An airstrike by Turkish warplanes in southeastern Turkey killed about 30 people suspected of being terrorists but who turned out to be smugglers, officials say.
It appeared the air force mistook a group of smugglers for members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, also referred to as the PKK, and only after the deadly attack late Wednesday did it become apparent they were not members of the designated terror group, Turkish media said Thursday.
"We have 30 corpses, all of them are burned. The state knew that these people were smuggling in the region," Fehmi Yaman, mayor of Uludere in Sirnak province, told Today's Zaman.
Vahdettin Ozkan, governor of Sirnak, told the state-run Anatolia news agency that according to initial information 20 people were killed, the Turkish daily said. Ozkan said a prosecutor and police were dispatched to the site to investigate the incident.
An unnamed Turkish security official said the airstrike was warranted.
"There were rumors that the PKK would pass through this region. Images were recorded of a group crossing last night, hence the operation was carried out," the official told Today's Zaman. "We could not have known whether these people were PKK members or smugglers."
The Turkish newspaper noted the PKK is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and has conducted numerous attacks against Turkish forces in the southern eastern region of the country.
In October, PKK members killed 24 Turkish soldiers in raids on military posts, and following the attack Turkey vowed revenge, Today's Zaman said.
