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Curfew in 43 Villages in Southeastern Turkey

Curfew in 43 Villages in Southeastern Turkey
Curfew in 43 Villages in Southeastern Turkey

Curfews were imposed in more than 40 villages in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir early on Tuesday as part of a security operation against the Kurdish Workers' Party, or PKK, Turkish officials said.

The curfews in 43 villages in Lice, Hani, Kocakoy and Dicle districts started at 7:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) and will remain in place until further notice, according to a statement by the government office, Aljazeera reported.

Security forces will conduct an operation in the rural areas to "neutralize" PKK fighters, including "senior members and their collaborators operating in the region", the statement said.

The operation also aims to destroy PKK's bunkers, arms depots and anti-aircraft gun emplacements, as well as seize weapons and ammunition.

More than 1,200 people, including security forces and civilians, have been killed since the PKK resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July 2015, when the ceasefire with the PKK was violated by the state.

The PKK has been designated a "terrorist" group by Turkey, the European Union and the US.

In February this year, Turkish police detained more than 800 people over alleged links to Kurdish fighters in nationwide operations, according to state media.

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