In the village of Bazirgan (Yukarı Satıcılar) in the Diyadin district of Ağrı, the village guards, who often attack the residents, targeted a family this time.

As a result of the enmity that started two years ago due to the village guards’ desire to seize the village land, the village guards raided the village, set many houses on fire and attacked the residents. Despite the attacks, the villagers did not leave their land.

The village guards attacked the village again in the morning. When the residents responded, the village guards used guns and seriously wounded two people, one of whom was a woman.

The health teams dispatched to the scene took the injured woman to Ağrı Research Hospital, but she was transferred to Erzurum due to her serious condition. The other wounded person is still being treated at Ağrı Research Hospital.

While the tension in the village continues, entry to and exit from the village has been ‘banned.’ It is not yet known whether the state has taken any measures against the village guards.

Village guards

Village guards are Kurdish paramilitaries in the service of the Turkish state. The village guard system was established in Turkey in 1985 to combat the Kurdish liberation movement and has its roots in the Hamidiye Regiments in the Ottoman Empire. The paramilitary units, founded according to tried and tested colonial methods, are now officially called the "Security Guard" and are used as local experts and cannon fodder in Turkish military operations in Kurdistan. Their mission also includes foreign missions.