Turkish truck driver dies, five wounded in Iraq

KIRKUK, Iraq - A Turkish truck driver died Friday of wounds sustained in an attack on a convoy near Iraq's northern oil centre of Kirkuk, a police spokesman said.
Khalil Hamid, of Diyarbakir, southeast Turkey, died of shrapnel wounds, the spokesman, Omar Abdullah, said.
Five wounded truck drivers will be repatriated along with Hamid's body, Abdullah said.
The injured were originally taken to hospital in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah, Turkey's NTV news channel reported.
Six fuel tankers were torched in Thursday evening's attack on the road from Kirkuk to the city of Arbil, seat of the Kurdish regional parliament, the CNN-Turk news channel reported.
Turkish truckers shipping goods to Iraq have increasingly been targeted by kidnappers and gunmen, prompting Ankara to seek enhanced security for its nationals.
About 80 Turks, mostly truck drivers, have been killed in road attacks or at the hands of hostage-takers in Iraq.

04/08/2005 17:52 GMT