Security sources confirmed Wednesday the death of a Turkish soldier after People's Protection Units (YPG) terrorists hid an improvised explosive inside a copy of the Holy Quran.The Turkish military said Tuesday that special Sgt. Orhan Sürmen was killed during the operation being conducted against Daesh, the PKK and its Syrian affiliate the YPG in Syria's northwestern Afrin region.
The sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media, said Sürmen was killed when he tried to pick up the Quran after he noticed it was on the floor. According to Muslim belief, the Quran should be kept above waist-level, out of respect. Sürmen was taking part in sweep and clear operations in the village of Darmashkanli in the Shaykh al-Hadid district, west of Afrin. The sources also said foreign intelligence services trained the terrorists on preparing explosives. They added that in addition to copies of the Quran, terrorists have hidden explosives in different materials ranging from food to undergarments.
The security sources said the terrorists use similar methods to hide explosives in civilian areas in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakır, Şırnak, Hakkari, and Mardin provinces – areas known for being riddled with PKK attacks. Separately, another soldier was killed during clashes with terrorists in Turkey's eastern Ağrı province.
