One killed, many wounded amidst clashes in Cizre
Cizre district of Şırnak witnesses a heavy crackdown by military and police forces since yesterday evening following a curfew and deployment of thousands of special operation teams.
Governor of Şırnak declared a curfew for Cizre district until a further notice at 20:00 local time yesterday after thousands of special operation police were dispatched to the district late in the evening.
Soon after the imposition of the curfew, police forces blockaded the district and some neighborhoods and started preparations for an attack.
Clashes erupted in Nur, Cudi, Sur and Yafes neighborhoods in the wake of a crackdown staged by special operation police teams amidst voices of arms and blasts.
As clashes continued, many policemen were reported wounded in a blast in front of Hotel Kerem, who were rushed to the district hospital which was therewith blockaded by police teams and closed to civilians.
Police forces on the other hand denied access for ambulances to the scenes where civilians were wounded as a result of consecutive blasts.
An armed attack by police on Botaş street of Nur neighborhood left three people wounded, one of them heavily. Residents in Nur and Sur neighborhoods all took to the streets and protested the brutal crackdown by security forces.
The person seriously wounded in the attack, whose ID hasn't been clarified yet, died soon later as police denied access for ambulances to the scene.
In the meantime, a delegation of the DBP and HDP was also denied permission to enter the district as soldiers blocked the entrance with armored vehicles and allowed nobody in on the grounds of a "strict order by the governor". The delegation therewith started a sit-in outside the military post in Kurumcu village 21 km to the district.
Speaking to Kurdish TV Med Nuçe, HDP deputy Nursel Aydoğan who is also taking part in the delegation told that the Governor didn't answer their phone despite their repeated and numerous calls. Aydoğan said they have learned that the blockade in and around the district will continue in line with an instruction by the Minister of the Interior.
It is reported that the delegation started walking towards the district as of early morning hours as blockade by security forces remains.
