The People's Defense Forces (HPG) carried out coordinated actions on the Turkish occupation forces in the Zap region of the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) on Tuesday. According to the HPG press center statement released on Wednesday, 26 soldiers were killed, including two officers. While the guerrillas seized numerous weapons from the Turkish army, HPG guerrilla Mahir Mazlum was martyred in clashes during the retreat.

The HPG statement said: "The Turkish army is unable to achieve any results due to the resistance of the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla in the Zap region and is using chemical weapons against the battle positions and tunnels. The Turkish state’s use of chemical weapons is a war crime according to the law, and cowardice according to war norms. In order to punish the inhumane war crimes of the Turkish army, our forces in the Zap region carried out extensive revolutionary retaliatory operations on May 24." HPG stated that several mobile and semi-mobile guerrilla units used different tactics simultaneously in a professional manner. The operations took place in retaliation for the chemical weapons attack in Çiyareş that killed eight guerrilla fighters in late April.

HPG pointed out that the Turkish army is mostly hiding its casualties in the Zap invasion. Because Tuesday's losses were so high, the Turkish army made public the deaths of five soldiers. In fact, 26 members of the invading forces were killed, including two senior military officers, HPG said. Weapons and equipment were seized from 18 bodies as evidence, such as a ring with military insignia, a BKC gun with 150 rounds of ammunition, two portable M-16s with 180 rounds of ammunition, two grenade launchers, an MPT, a pistol, thermal binoculars, a cell phone, protective vests, a military knife and a recharger. Four military tents and four positions were completely destroyed, according to the HPG.

At Girê Cehennem in the Çiyareş resistance area, guerrillas infiltrated a military camp and struck three tents and two positions on one flank with hand grenades and firearms, killing two officers and five soldiers. On the second flank, two positions and a military tent were struck from close range, killing five soldiers. When reinforcements arrived from the surrounding area, another six soldiers were killed.

HPG announced the death of a guerrilla fighter in clashes during the retreat. His ID details are as follows:

Nom de Guerre: Mahir Mazlum
First-Last Name: Mehmet Aslan
Birthplace: Urfa
Mother's-Father's Name: Rahime – Mehmet Ali
Date and Place of Martyrdom: 24 May 2022 / Zap

"Our companion Mahir Mazlum proceeded with great sacrifice against the occupiers in the revolutionary retaliation operation. He fired the first shot, infiltrated the enemy positions, penetrated to the military tents and recovered two weapons of the occupiers. He was martyred in the fighting during the retreat," HPG informed.

Mahir Mazlum was born in Urfa and joined the guerrillas from Europe in 2015. He fought in different regions within the Medya Defense Zones and was trained to become a professional militant. As a commander of a unit, he passed on his knowledge to his companions and put his skills into practice. In the resistance against the Turkish invasion in Zap, he participated in numerous actions with his mobile unit. HPG paid tribute to him as one of the symbolic commanders of the Zap resistance, who -it said- will forever be a role model with his courage, single-minded determination and desire for revenge. HPG offered their condolences to his relatives, the people of Urfa and the Kurdish people.