In its daily statement providing information about the ongoing war in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq), the press office of the People's Defense Forces (HPG) reported that two armored vehicles of the Turkish army were destroyed by guerrillas during ongoing resistance against Turkey’s invasion operation in the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones.

According to the HPG, one of the vehicles was a Reo troop carrier and was destroyed during an action by the guerrillas of YJA Star (Free Women’s Troops) in the Xakurke area on Friday. The vehicle was moving to set up positions in the outskirts of Girê Şehîd Derwêş when it was targeted by the guerrillas with heavy weapons. Ten of the soldiers inside were killed.

In a similar action in the Zap region yesterday, an "Akrep" (Scorpion) type armoured reconnaissance vehicle was destroyed by the guerrillas. The vehicle was approaching the resistance area of Çemço at when it was taken under massive artillery fire. How many occupants were killed or injured as a result of the action could not be determined for sure. Around the same time, the guerrillas also struck the invaders in Şikefta Birîndara where the Turkish army has been trying unsuccessfully to install a line of fortifications for some time. "After the troop commander could be spotted by our mobile units, he was punished with sniper tactics. The occupiers, who were hit hard, subsequently had to withdraw from the area," the HPG said.

On Saturday morning, a combat helicopter came under fire from the guerrillas during an attack flight over Çemço. The aircraft then returned to a Turkish army base camp in southern Kurdistan territory. In Avaşîn, an advance attempt by the occupying forces on the tunnel facility "Şehîd Têkoşer" was sabotaged on Thursday through the use of explosives, hand grenades and light weapons.

Actions in Metîna

Regarding actions in the Metîna region, the HPG said: “In the Girê FM resistance area, several occupiers were initially hit by mobile sniper units on 30 June, and three of them were killed. On 5 and 8 July, YJA Star snipers struck at the same location. Two more soldiers were fatally wounded in the process. At Girê Cûdî, HPG units carried out a total of three actions with heavy weapons on Friday. During a sniper action by the YJA Star, a high-ranking military man was shot dead. The support troops advancing in response also came under fire, but the number of casualties in the ranks of the Turkish occupiers is unclear. Transport helicopters could not land for evacuation until after midnight.

Two more Turkish soldiers were killed yesterday as a result of guerrilla sabotage action near the defence positions "Şehîd Pîrdoxan" in Girê Amediyê. In the evening, the Turkish army reacted with shelling by combat helicopters. One of the three aircraft was heavily hit by the guerrillas and immediately withdrew from the combat area. The HPG dedicated all the actions mentioned in their balance sheet to the "Martyrs of the 14 July Resistance".  On this day in 1982, founding members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) imprisoned in Diyarbakır prison - the "Hell of Amed" - began a death fast in protest against the inhumane conditions in the military prison. They demanded an end to torture, military discipline and uniform clothing. This death fast has a high symbolic significance as it is considered as the "spark of resistance" that fanned the fire of resistance in Kurdistan after the grave silence following the military coup of 12 September 1980. 55 days after the death fast began, PKK cadre Kemal Pir lost his life. Prisoners Mehmet Hayri Durmuş, Ali Çiçek and Akif Yılmaz also died in the course of the action. The death fast has since been called the "Great Resistance of 14 July".

Continued war crimes by Turkey

In the course of the invasion of Southern Kurdistan, which has been ongoing since mid-April, the Turkish army is resorting to methods that are considered war crimes worldwide. Yesterday, as almost daily, the HPG press office again documented several attacks with chemical warfare agents. A total of six uses of outlawed chemical weapons were recorded in the past 24 hours - in combination with TNT attacks. Defence positions in the resistance area of Kokerê were hit three times, while two attacks were directed against the war positions in Şikefta Birîndara. Another chemical weapons attack took place in Girê Cûdî. In the same period, at least 31 air strikes were carried out on Southern Kurdistan, five of which were carried out by fighter jets on Gare, among others. In parallel, artillery shells fired from Turkish outposts on the border hit the region. The Girê FM is flown over by reconnaissance drones.