Clash amid curfew and military operation in Siirt countryside

Curfew was declared in several towns in the province of Siirt as part of an operation of the Turkish army. Clashes erupted in the operation zone and the Turkish Air Force bombed several areas on Monday.

A total of eight villages and villages in the countryside of northern Kurdistan province of Siirt were placed under a curfew last week.

Siirt Governorate said in a statement that the army was conducting a military operation in the area, in which so-called special forces also participate. The statement argued that the curfew serves "as a measure to ensure national security, public order and the well-being of the population”.

Mezopotamya News Agency (MA) reported that there has been occasional fighting in the past week between the guerrilla units and Turkish military forces, which intensified on Monday.

In addition, the Turkish Air Force is said to have carried out several attacks on areas where guerrillas are suspected to be deployed. It was not immediately clear if these strikes resulted in casualties or not.

Also in Eruh district of Siirt, the Turkish army has been carrying out an operation since last week. In the course of this, two villages and three settlements had been declared so-called special security areas on Monday. There is no information as to when the curfew should be lifted.