The military siege in the village of Bilbês in Beytüşşebap district of Şırnak has been going on for 27 days. 

Turkish troops deployed on hills around the village are reported to be opening random fire on forestland.  Inhabitants are allowed to enter and leave the village only after being subjected to a criminal record check (GBT), a database containing information on wanted persons as well as criminal and suspicious activity reports from the police and gendarmerie. 

While pressure on the village population increases amid the ongoing siege and military operation in the region, search warrants have been issued for many residents.

A resident of the village, İzzettin Cin, was detained on August 1 and imprisoned on August 4 for allegedly “aiding and abetting the PKK”. In the scope of the same investigation, Levent Cin was also taken into custody on August 19 after he had been summoned to a gendarmerie station in the Silopi district on the grounds that he had to sign a registration form. The man was released from custody with a ban on leaving the country and on condition of judicial supervision.

There have been several skirmishes with Turkish soldiers and guerrillas in the region in the past weeks. The Turkish army responded to the guerrilla presence with heavy waves of aerial attacks and tank fire.