PKK militant aiming to assassinate district governor killed in southeastern Turkey

DİYARBAKIR

An outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant who aimed to assassinate a district governor in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır has been killed by security forces in clashes that erupted during a security operation targeting a house in the Yenişehir district. 

Police staged an operation at around 3 a.m. on Jan. 12 on the basis of intelligence received in the Seyrantepe region. Militants allegedly opened fire on the security forces who raided the house and clashes erupted after security forces fired back. The militant was subsequently killed in the clashes. 

The militant’s body was taken to Gazi Yaşargil Training and Research Hospital for an autopsy after a crime scene investigation was completed by the prosecutor. 

It was later determined that the militant, identified only by the initials as Ş.T., was registered to the Yenişehir district. 

Meanwhile, curfews have been imposed on a total of 13 villages in Diyarbakır’s Lice and Hani districts in order to carry out security operations against the PKK, the Diyarbakır Governor’s Office has announced. 

During the curfew, which started at 5 a.m. on Jan. 12, security forces hope to “neutralize” PKK militants and their collaborators and destroy the shelters, depots and weapon launching pits belonging to the group. 

“Neutralize” is a euphemism used by the military to denote killed or incapacitated militants.

The curfew will remain in effect until further notice, the governor’s office said.