Thirty-six villagers who were detained following a clash between Turkish security forces and terrorists were allegedly tortured by police, the Cumhuriyet daily reported on Monday.

The villagers were taken into custody after an operation on Sunday by security forces against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants in the village of Altınsu in Hakkari province. Twenty of the villagers were released on Monday morning, while 16 are still under custody at the district police department.

The Dihaber news agency, which published pictures of the villagers, claimed they were tortured while in custody. The report said more than 100 people, including women and children, were gathered and beaten in a square after their houses were raided and doors were broken at night.

The residents of the village, who were threatened with death, went to get a battery report from a doctor, who refused to give it, saying they were responsible for what happened to them since they did not support the Turkish government.

One police officer was killed and one security force member was wounded during the conflict. (turkishminute.com)

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