Mizgîn Adım/JINHA

ŞIRNEX - Women who witnessed the police assault on the Kurdish town of Silopi yesterday say that police turned their neighborhoods into a living hell.

Three people died in a police assault that began early yesterday morning in the Kurdish town of Silopi, in Turkey's Şırnak province. Violence started when police tried to enter the Zap neighborhood, which residents had closed off with trenches to stop the recent frequent police raids.

Many more were wounded throughout the day, in which police sharpshooters were posted on government buildings and opening fire on civilians below. Police also opened fire on the wounded in front of the town's hospital, leading to the death of one young man. There are reports of torture under arrest, and police carried at least 10 to the police station rather than the hospital despite their heavy wounds.

Peri Aşula's 10-year-old daughter Nahide was wounded when police opened fire. She said that police first attacked and wounded her son Hasan, who was up early and headed for his internship at the hospital. Hasan fell to the ground.

"My 10-year-old daughter Nahide couldn't stand to see her older brother like that and she threw herself on him. That's when police opened fire and she fell down beside him," said Peri. The family fashioned a stretcher out of a blanket and were trying to carry the children to the hospital when they came under police fire again.

Melehat Aşula was making dough for the bread that she bakes in her outdoor oven when police opened fire on her house. This started a fire in the house. As she was trying to put it out, police opened fire whenever she went outside. Melahat said she was grateful that her children and husband escaped alive, even if their house was burned down.

A woman named Melahat Alkış was up early looking after her cattle when she realized police had entered the neighborhood.

"No one saw that police had entered the neighborhood. We mothers noticed and tried to let people know and wake them up," said Melahat. "This was how people woke up, and police pulled back a little when they saw that people had been awoken."

Leyla Yakaomar was taking her wounded elder brother Engin to the hospital when police opened fire.

"I stepped out into the street and they opened fire on me. But I said, there's no difference between me and my brother; if this means death, we'll die together," said Leyla. Police attacked her and her brother in front of the hospital. "They kicked my brother while he was wounded. What kind of humanity is this? What kind of Islam is this?"

Two of Leyla's brothers and one of her cousins were arrested.

"God knows what they did to them," said Leyla.

(şg/fk/cm)