Woman and Child Killed in Attack on Police Car

A group of people, supposedly members of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), attacked a police car in the south-eastern city of Batman at around 11.30 on Monday night (26 September). A woman and her daughter who got in between the armed conflict died as result of the shooting; one police officer and three civilians were injured.

As reported by the cnnturk.com news site, supposed members of the PKK opened fire with long-barrelled weapons on a patrolling police vehicle. A family passing by in their car at that moment got in the middle of the shooting.

35-year-old Mizgin Doğrul and her six-year-old daughter who were both in the car died. Mizgin Doğurl was eight-month pregnant; her baby could be rescued by the doctors. Five-year-old Şeyma Doğrul and her father, Talat Doğrul (40) were wounded. Talat Doğrul was taken to the intensive care unit. Reportedly, three PKK members were killed during the shooting.

According to the Fırat News Agency (ANF), the conflict emerged when the police tried to stop a car with three alleged members of the People's Defence Forces (HPG), an armed wing of the PKK. It was claimed in the ANF news that according to the account of eye-witnesses the civilians were killed when the police started shooting randomly upon being attacked.

21 people died in armed conflicts throughout the past seven days; nine civilians, one police student, seven soldiers, two police officers and two village guards. At least four members of the PKK have been reported dead. (NV)