PKK Small Arms Captures: January-March 2019

Some interesting small arms were captured by Turkish forces from the Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê‎ or Kurdistan Workers’ Party – PKK, these caches included shoulder-fired recoilless weapons and various self-loading rifles.

January 4, 2019:

Two RPG-7 shoulder-fired recoilless weapons were confiscated in Aralık district, Iğdır province, Turkey. Both launchers appear to be equipped with PGO-7 sights. Originally designed for the RPG-7, the PGO-7 is a 2.8X optical device also seen and used on other rifles, albeit rarely. Alongside the launchers five PG-7 warheads and eleven propellants were captured.

Noticeable findings also include four hand grenades and six 5.56 × 45 mm STANAG magazines, however, no M16/M4-pattern self-loading rifles were confiscated.

**Figure 1.1** Confiscated RPG-7 (Author Sourced Photograph via ARES CONMAT Database)

**Figure 1.2** Confiscated equipment including STANAG magazines and hand grenades (Author Sourced Photograph via ARES CONMAT Database)

January 12, 2019:

Two 9 × 19 mm self-loading pistols were captured from two female PKK fighters in the village of Kocaköy Bozdağlar in the Lice District of Diyarbakır province, in Turkey. Alongside the hand guns, three magazines, 76 rounds of 9 mm ammunition and four hand grenades were captured. Both of the hand guns probably originated from within Turkey.

**Figure 2.1** hand guns and ammunition captured at Kocaköy Bozdağlar (Source: Local Turkish government via ARES CONMAT Database)

(No video or photographic footage has been published by the PKK in January. Likewise, no video or photos were released by the Turks in February.)

Next lets look at weapons captured and used by PKK forces in February.

February 11, 2019:

A PKK anti-tank guided missile team struck a Turkish military position on mount Dalya/Lêlîkanê, Hakurk/Sîdekan region in northern Iraq. The missile is probably one of two Russian types, either a 9K111 Fagot (NATO AT-4 Spigot) or a 9M113 Konkurs (NATO AT-5 Spandrel), both can be used with the same 9P135M launcher.

**Figure 3.1** Coordinates of the outpost: 38S MF 61499 87743 (Source: via ARES CONMAT Database)

**Figure 3.2** Missile in flight towards the position. (Source: via ARES CONMAT Database)

**Figure 3.3** Moment the missile hit the outpost. The Turkish Armed Forces reported no casualties on February 12. (Source: via ARES CONMAT Database)

March 16, 2019:

Weapons captured by Turkish Security Forces in March:

PKK fighters attacked the Turkish Military base on Mount Dalya/Lêlîkanê, Hakurk/Xakurke, Iraq. This is the same base that was struck with an ATGM on February 12. The attack involved multiple PKK fighters rushing the outpost from the Southern and South-Eastern headings. The clashes resulted in the death of two Turkish soldiers and at least six PKK fighters.

**Figure 4.1** This photograph shows arms taken from fallen PKK fighters. Six rifles including two 5.45 × 39 mm AKS-74 self-loading rifles and 4 former East German 5.45 × 39 mm MPI-KM(S)-74N were found. In addition to the rifles, 36 AK-74 pattern magazines, 10 handheld and throwable IED’s and multiple hand grenades were captured. The IED are especially dangerous as they’re used to breach the perimeters of the base. The PKK managed to breach the first line of barbed wire, but failed to breach the Turkish bases inner defences. (Source: Regional social media via ARES CONMAT Database)

The 5.45 × 39 mm and or 5.56 × 45 mm self-loading rifles have become the norm for PKK infiltration squads. They’re preferred over 7.62 × 39 mm AK-pattern rifles due to their lower recoil impulse and improved armour penetration. So-called ‘green tip’ 5.56 × 45 mm M855 rounds are commonly seen in PKK hands. In northern Iraq one possible route these arms are procured through is via corrupt members of the Iraqi Security Forces.

March 18, 2019:

The Turkish Gendarmerie command in Mardin received a tip regarding a cave being used as a hideout by PKK forces in Dargeçit. An operation was launched to raid the hideout. The fighters were cornered inside a cave and subsequently killed by local security forces. The following arms were confiscated from the dead: an AKS-74, an MPi-KMS-72 or AKM-pattern self-loading rifle with a modified stock, and an M4A1 self-loading carbine.

The M4A1 had a thermal imaging scope mounted but identifying this optic wasn’t possible due to the low quality and angle of the photograph available. It is likely from the Lithuanian company Pulsar. Their products are common in the region and have been seen in the hands of various groups, including the PKK.

**Figure 5.1** (Author sourced photograph via ARES CONMAT Database)

**Figure 5.2** A photograph of some of the weapons captured during the raid on the cave hideout, note the damaged STANAG magazines (Author sourced photograph via ARES CONMAT Database)

March 23, 2019:

Later in March two RC model aircraft used by the PKK were spotted at around 15:20 local time by the 34th Border Brigade Command. Both aircraft were travelling from northern Iraq towards the Derecik village guard’s barracks and the ‘Gerdan’ hill forward operating base (FOB).

Local security personnel actively responded with anti-drone weaponry and machine gun fire. One RC drone was downed by fire from the Derecik barracks and crashed into the village of Koçyiğit. The second was downed by fire coming from the Öküzkapı FOB and crashing around the ‘Dinazor’ ridge line.

Photographs below show the drone that crashed in the village of Koçyiğit. This specific model has been identified as a X-UAV Mini Talon and was armed with four modified VOG-17M high explosive 30 × 29 mm grenades, normally launched from an AGS-17 automatic-grenade launcher. The grenades appear to have the tail end of badminton shuttlecocks taped onto them in an effort to stabilise them when dropped.