An explosion has targeted police unit near Dicle University campus in Diyarbakır’s historic Sur district, killing 1 police officer and injuring 3 others.
UPD: 3 officers were killed, according to DailySabah.
According to reports, the explosion took place while a police vehicle was passing near an area next to the campus.
The Sur district was heavily damaged in armed clashes between Turkish security forces and members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in December 2016. The PKK activity is still high in the area.
The Turkish Interior Ministry said in a statement on January 16 that security forces detained 419 suspects and “neutralized” 20 members of the PKK and Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) in a perioud between January 9 and and January 15.
Hurriyetdailynews reports:
It said 11 of the PKK/KCK militants were killed, three of them surrendered and six others were detained during operations between Jan. 9 and 15.
Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralized” in their statements to imply the militants in question was either killed, captured or surrendered.
A total of 419 suspects were detained in last week’s operations on charges of aiding PKK/KCK, 40 of whom were later arrested, the statement said.