According to the daily statement of People's Defense Forces (HPG), 23 soldiers of the Turkish army were killed and three soldiers were injured in the recent guerrilla actions in the Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq). HPG pointed out that the mobile guerrilla units are fighting against the occupation of southern Kurdistan under very difficult conditions and with high sacrifice. The Turkish army attacked the underground defence positions of the guerrillas in the areas of Koker, Şikefta Birîndara, Werxelê, Girê Hekarî and Girê Cûdî 17 times with chemical weapons and explosives on Saturday amid permanent drone movements over the areas. The areas of Kurojahro, Girê Amêdî, Girê FM, Girê Cûdî and Saca were bombed by fighter jets a total of twelve times, and dozens of other attacks on the guerrilla areas were carried out by helicopters and howitzers.

The HPG gave the following information on the individual guerrilla actions:

ZAP

Fierce fighting broke out in the Çemço area at 3:30 pm on Saturday, leaving one soldier dead and another injured. As on the previous day, a military column tried to advance from the Turkish border towards Çemço at 4 pm. The attempt was stopped by the guerrillas and two soldiers were killed in the action on the convoy. Another attempt by Turkish troops at 5pm was intervened by the guerrillas with heavy weapons, as a result of which two soldiers were killed and two others injured. The dead and injured were recovered and taken away by the Turkish army in the evening by helicopters and armoured cars. At 6 pm, another soldier was killed in an action by a mobile unit of YJA Star (Free Women’s Troops). At midnight, the area was bombed by attack helicopters. The guerrillas fired on the helicopters from two sides, forcing them to retreat.

Four soldiers were killed in an action carried out by YJA Star guerrillas with heavy weapons in Koker at 8:10 am today.

XAKURKE

The guerrillas chased a military unit that arrived at Girê Şehîd Derwêş on Saturday and struck the Turkish soldiers with heavy weapons, killing seven of them.

METINA

At Girê Hekarî, a soldier was shot dead by an HPG sniper on 29 June. At Girê Cûdî, three soldiers were shot by snipers on 2 and 3 July. On Saturday evening, the guerrillas repulsed a Turkish unit that tried to blow up a tunnel. Today, at 6.40 a.m., another advance towards the tunnel was stopped by an act of sabotage, in which two soldiers were killed.