Blows inflicted on Turkish forces in North and South Kurdistan

Two Cobra type helicopters of the Turkish army were damaged in Bazid. Six Turkish soldiers were killed in Van and one other in Gever as a result of guerrilla actions.

According to a statement by People’s Defense Forces Press Office (HPG-BIM), guerrilla forces continued their actions against the invading Turkish troops in Kurdistan territory.

The statement by HPG-BIM gave the following details of most recent actions carried out by guerrillas against the Turkish army:

“Within the scope of the Martyr Pîroz and Martyr Agirî Revolutionary Campaign, on June 28 and 29, our forces carried out actions against the invading Turkish army. The details of the actions which took place within this scope are as following;

On June 28, at 00.10, our forces carried out an action against the invading Turkish army trying to carry out set-downs to the Lêlîkan hill in the Bradost region of Southern Kurdistan’s Sidakan area with Sikorsky-type helicopters with the support of Cobra helicopters. Our forces have intensely opened fire at all the helicopters flying over the hill. The helicopters which were effectively hit were forced to withdraw without carrying out set-downs. Following the action, the invading Turkish army indiscriminately bombed the area with warplanes, howitzers and mortar shells.

On the same day, at 21.05, our forces carried out an action against a convoy of the invading Turkish army near the village of Rêzanê as it was moving on the Hakkari-Van highway. A Kirpi-type armoured vehicle has received heavy blows in this action where all the vehicles in the convoy were put under intense fire. Six enemy soldiers have been identified killed in this action. The invading Turkish army closed the Hakkari-Van highway to traffic following the action.

On June 29, at 19.40, our forces carried out an action against the invaders positioned on the Deriyê Cafer hill in Hakkari’s Gever (Yüksekova) district. One soldier was killed and another soldier was wounded in this action where the enemy positions on the hill were effectively hit.

On June 25, our forces arrested an individual named Mevlut Bengi from the Türkmen village in Ağrı’s Bazid (Doğubeyazıt) district. This individual has informed the enemy about our comrades Pirdoğan Berzan (Eyüp Kartal) and Rüstem Serhed (Mehmet Meni) who were out on duty while he was herding in the area on June 8, 2016. As a result, the invading forces carried out intense ambush activities in the area. Our two comrades entered into conflict with enemy units while they were on duty in the Kırê Alê territory in Bazid district. Both of our comrades had reached martyrdom in this conflict which took place.

In our HPG-BIM statement dated June 11, 2016, we had shared with the public the information that intense ambush activities were taking place from the Türkmena, Çiftlik and Kanikorkê villages to the surroundings of Kırê Alê village. This individual, leading contra activities, has also played a role in the arrests of many patriotic people amid direct collaboration with the enemy forces for more than three years. Our investigation has concluded with this individual confessing that he has played a role in the martyrdom of our guerrillas and the arrests of our patriotic people. Our forces have punished this individual through the international highway on the evening of June 26.

The pool media and AKP officials are trying to put pressure on the local people through this contra in efforts to marginalise the Kurdish people's success in the region. The entire public should know that this individual was punished because of his role in the martyrdom of our comrades and in the arrests our patriotic people. AKP officials and the pool media, spreading the lie that this individual was punished purely due to his membership of any political party, are trying to divert the truth to obtain political gains based on these lies.

Following the punishment, on June 27, the invading forces launched an operation in the Demirkapı and Kırê Hallac areas with the support of disguised units and unmanned aerial vehicles. The invading forces heavily bombed the operation area with Cobra helicopters, tanks and mortars. On the same day, around 15.30, our forces have targeted two Cobra-type helicopters indiscriminately bombing the area. The two Cobra helicopters which were effectively struck were forced to withdraw from the area. Around 19.30, our forces also carried out an action against a disguised unit of the invaders in the Congê territory. The number of dead and wounded soldiers in this enemy unit hit effectively could not be determined. On June 28, the invading forces were forced to withdraw the operation launched in the area, obtaining no results.”