Turkey announces curfew in rural areas near southeastern Diyarbakir
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Turkish soldiers prepare themselves for military action during a curfew at Diyarbakir's historical Sur district on February 26, 2016.
Turkey has declared a round-the-clock curfew in rural areas near the southeastern city of Diyarbakir ahead of a planned military operation against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants.
The curfew was announced at 10:30 am (0730 GMT) in 10 areas of Lice in Diyarbakir Province, where PKK militants, including senior operatives are believed to be active, a statement by the provincial governor's office said Saturday.
The curfew came a day after Turkish security forces called an end to operations targeting PKK militants in the town of Nusaybin near the Syrian border and in Sirnak near the border with Iraq.
More than 1,000 people, mostly PKK militants, have been killed in three months of clashes in those areas, according to security sources.
Ankara has been engaged in a large-scale campaign against the PKK in its southern border region in the past few months. The Turkish military has been conducting offensives against the positions of the militant group in northern Iraq as well.
Turkey’s operations began in the wake of a deadly July 2015 bombing in the southern town of Suruc.
SS
