Diyarbak?r's Sur district under curfew for a month

The historical district of Sur in Diyarbak?r has now been subject to a curfew for the past month amid continuing clashes between the security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in the area.

Diyarbak?r's Sur district has turned into a zone of continued clashes with a curfew in effect since Dec. 2, apart from a break of only 17 hours on Dec. 10. 

A member of security forces who wanted to remain unanimous said in Sur that they expected to remove the curfew in several streets but there were still small gunfights posing a threat to civilians. 

"It is not right to give a number," said an official when asked how many militants were fighting against security forces. 

"There are some who are from the mountain cadres [of the PKK] sent by the Kandil [where senior PKK leaders are based]. But there are many young children, too." 

People who left their houses in the Da?kap? neighborhood came to security checkpoints in an effort to return to their houses, but were prevented from doing so by the security forces.

In the latest attack by the PKK yesterday, four police officers were wounded in Sur. 

Police officer Ahmet Sar?kaya, 27, was wounded by a gunshot by a sniper from a PKK militant, while three others were wounded in an explosion. 

Meanwhile, gendarmerie noncommissioned officer Kenan Y?ld?z, 33, who was killed in clashes with the PKK in Silopi district of ??rnak on Dec. 28, was laid to rest in the southern province of Adana yesterday. Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar attended the funeral prayer held at the Sabanc? Merkez Mosque. 

The fallen soldier's 3-year-old son, Melih Y?ld?z, played around the coffin without acknowledging the loss of his father.