Turkish tanks continue targeting Silopi’s neighborhoods where there are no trenches. Information is scarce due to the siege in the district, where 1 person died and many were wounded.

As soldiers are evacuating the neighborhoods, people are moving to other neighborhoods that are not under attack.

Neighborhoods are under attack in Şırnak’s Silopi district where a state of siege has been reestablished. Zap and Barbaros neighborhoods face tank fire.

HDP Şırnak MP Ferhat Encü is in the district and reports intense tank fire on Zap neighborhood where there were big explosions earlier today.

ONE HOUSE HIT

MP Encü stated that one house was targeted in Barbaros neighborhood. In the targeted house, 1 civilian died and 3 others were seriously wounded. Encü said, “The neighborhoods are under heavy attack, we can’t reach healthy and concrete information. We first received information on 3 people dead and at least 10 wounded due to tank fire to a house in Barbaros neighborhood. The latest information on the same location is that 1 person died and 3 have been wounded. However, there have been reports on wounded people in other houses. But we can’t get concrete information.”

HOUSES FORCIBLY EVACUATED

Encü pointed out that the houses were forcibly evacuated after the tank fire and said, “They (state forces) are trying to evacuate the city completely. People are being forced to move under an artillery aggression targeting houses. There are no trenches or barricades in Silopi that they can use as a justification of attacks, but the tanks still rake the houses randomly. Silopi’s population had doubled to 200 thousand because people left Şırnak and came here due to the siege. Several families have to share one house in the neighborhoods hit by tanks. And now these people are being forcibly evacuated. People are leaving for the safer neighborhoods that are not under fire.”

HDP Şırnak MP Ferhat Encü demanded that AKP end the policies of violence immediately and said, “If they don’t stop, we are afraid the casualties will increase even more.”