One soldier killed in Diyarbakır’s Sur

ANKARA – Doğan News Agency

CİHAN photo

One soldier was killed on Feb. 23 during operations conducted against outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants in the Sur district of the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, the Turkish General Staff has announced.

The soldier was heavily wounded in an armed attack by PKK militants and later succumbed to his injuries in hospital at 9:55 a.m. despite all efforts by medical teams, the General Staff said in a statement issued on its website.

Diyarbakır Governor’s Office said on Feb. 23 that civilians willing to leave Sur due to the ongoing clashes would be provided evacuation assistance by the security forces.

“Starting from 16:00, all kinds of ease will be provided by our security forces to civilian citizens who want to evacuate their homes if they notify which region they are leaving from,” said the statement.

Diyarbakır’s Sur district has been under curfew since Dec. 2, 2015 as security forces have been engaged in an all-out counter-terrorism operation in the region against the PKK.