ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A land dispute between two families in the Kurdish province of Diyarbakir (Amed in Kurdish) on Thursday led to the death of nine people and the injury of two others, according to the governor’s office. The two Kurdish families, who are reportedly relatives, in the Kurdish city of Bismil in Amed disputed the ownership of a sizeable area which is officially the property of the Turkish government’s treasury ministry, according to Rudaw reporter on the ground, Abdulselam Akinci. The years-lasting dispute between both families turned violent on Thursday after one family set fire to the crop field. When the other family tried to extinguish the fire, the first one started shooting at them. Eight people were killed and three others were injured. One of the injured people succumbed to his wounds, dying at the hospital, according to a statement by the governor’s office. “Efforts are underway to apprehend a vehicle and its passengers that are believed to have been involved in the incident. The weapons used in the incident were seized, and wide-ranging security measures were taken by our security forces from land and air,” added the statement. Three prosecutors have been appointed to take part in an investigation launched into the deadly incident, according to the state-owned Anadolu Agency. Family feuds are common in southeast Turkey, especially in rural areas, which are more conservative. One of the deadliest feuds took place during a wedding in 2009 in Bilge village in the Kurdish-majority Mardin province. At least 44 people were killed, including the bride and groom. Seven people were killed and three others were injured when armed members of two families in the Kurdish province of Adiyaman (Semsur in Kurdish) clashed.
