Turkey declares curfew in Diyarbakir area to fight Kurdish militants

The curfew was imposed in the Kaynartepe neighborhood of Diyarbakir's Baglar district from 3 a.m. (0100 GMT) in the face of moves by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants to set up barricades, dig ditches and plant explosives in the area, the local authorities statement said.

PKK fighters blocked roads and halted vehicles in the area and clashed with security forces sporadically through the night as a police helicopter flew overhead, witnesses said.

Violence has surged in the mainly Kurdish southeast since a 2-1/2 year ceasefire with the PKK collapsed in July. The militants have focused their strikes on security forces in southeastern towns, some of which have been under curfew.