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June/05/2014

One soldier wounded when protesters open fire on security forces in Diyarbakır’s Lice

One soldier has been wounded in clashes between security forces and demonstrators protesting the construction of a security post in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

Gendarmerie officers on June 4 launched operations against protesters, including alleged members of the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (YDG-H), a youth organization linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has repeatedly blocked the main road between Diyarbakır and Bingöl by digging ditches.

Gendarmerie forces arrived today in the Çag˘ıl region of the Lice district and took tight security measures while working to fill the ditches back to open the road.

The pro-Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) demonstrators threw hand-made explosives and fireworks at soldiers, and allegedly opened fire, shooting one specialist sergeant in the leg.

The soldier was taken to Diyarbakır Military hospital.

The clashes continued when security forces responded with fire until the group left the scene.

Following the first clash, demonstrators opened fire on gendarmerie officers deployed at the region again with long-barreled weapons.

The tension is still high in the area while security teams were moved to a safer zone when a group with weapons approaching the area was spotted.

Journalists have also been forced to leave the area.

The illegal protests have been continuing in the region since last week as locals protest the construction of military posts in the region.

The main Kurdish party, the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), has repeatedly voiced its opposition to the construction of new gendarmerie posts across Turkey.

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