Şırnak clashes (2015–2016)

The first armed incident in Şırnak Province took place on 28 July when the Turkish Air Force bombed PKK fighters in the countryside.[13] The clashes in Şırnak began to escalate following a bomb explosion that damaged a section of the Kirkuk–Ceyhan pipeline within Şırnak Province on July 29[14] and an ambush by the PKK on July 30 which killed 3 Turkish soldiers. On 4 August, PKK forces attacked a guard post in Şırnak Province with an RPG, killing one soldier and injuring another. In a separate incident in the province, a mine killed two soldiers. Turkish F-16s targeting PKK camps in Hakkari Province in an act of retaliation. A PKK bomb explosion killed one civilian in Cizre on 5 August.[15]

On 7 August, Turkish Police clashed with PKK and YDG-H forces in Silopi, Cizre and Uludere and PKK-affiliated militants hijacked a minibus in Beytüşşebap.[16] 4 police officers and 1 army conscript were killed by separate PKK-affiliated attacks in Şırnak Province on 10 August.[17] Turkish forces killed 2 PKK militants following clashes in Beytüşşebap on 13 August.[18] Between 4–12 September, Turkey placed the first curfew on Cizre[19] during which it launched a military operation against the militia YDG-H.[20] 30 people were killed during the clashes, HDP leader Selahattin Demirtaş claiming 20 of which were civilians although the Turkish government challenged this claim.[21] Heavy clashes in Şırnak Province took place between 25–26 September, with the PKK claiming to have killed 75 soldiers and losing 14 militants[22] while Turkish forces claimed to have killed 36 militants and lost 2 soldiers.[23]

On 21 November, Turkish Air Force targeted PKK positions in Şırnak Province.[24] On the 14 December the Turkish government declared a twenty-four hour curfew for the cities Silopi and Cizre.[25] which were followed by large scale military operations by the Turkish forces launched on the 15 December against the YDG-H militias who set up barricades in the towns.[20] By 17 December, Turkish forces had claimed to have killed between 55–70 alleged PKK militants in the two towns.[26][27] The HDP leader Selahattin Demirtaş called on locals to resist the operations, denounced the government use of force, and called both the local people and government to find constructive actions.[28] On 31 December, 1 soldier was killed and 5 others injured following a PKK rocket attack.[29]

On 19 January 2016 the twenty-four hour curfew in place since 14 December 2015 was reduced to a curfew only imposed in the hours between 6 pm and 5am.[30]