In the Dicle district of Amed (Diyarbakır), several settlement areas have been besieged by the Turkish army since Monday. The background is an air-supported military operation against the guerrillas, which was launched last Friday. The villages of Pirejman, Heridan and Şingirik Cor, north of Dicle, are affected by the state of siege in the region.

The area of operation includes Mount Gorse in the border area between Dicle and the neighbouring province of Elazığ, and the wider surrounding area. The military also deploys so-called village guard units, which are used by the Turkish state as a weapon of war for "counterinsurgency". The Turkish army has imposed a curfew on local residents. Entering and leaving the villages encircled by armoured military vehicles is thus prohibited.

It is not yet known how long the curfews in the villages of Dicle will remain in force. For the affected population, the measure means a complete lockdown from the outside world. In fact, exit and access restrictions mean that even leaving the house is forbidden and not even food and medicine may be bought. Turkish military operations are currently also taking place in other regions of Northern Kurdistan.