Four Turkish soldiers were killed in the ambush and although no group immediately claimed responsibility, the attack was later revealed to have been a joint operation by three Communist guerrilla groups: the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Turkish Revolutionary People's Liberation Party–Front (DHKP-C) and Communist Party of Turkey/Marxist–Leninist (TKP-ML).

[1] The soldiers were returning to their outpost after a patrol and had only 1.3 kilometers left to travel when they were ambushed by a joint force of Kurdish PKK and Turkish DHKP-C and TKP-ML insurgents.

Four soldiers were killed in the ambush and due to the heavy fog, all insurgents managed to escape.

[2] That same year period the PKK and DHKP-C were also involved in a joint attack on a local flour factory in Tokat, which killed 3 Turkish officials.

[3] Twelve years later, a similar attack was carried out in the same area, which left 7 soldiers dead[1] and 3 injured.