On 20 November, the guerrillas launched a major offensive against the Turkish army in the western Zap region in the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).

In this context, the HPG (People's Defence Forces) and the YJA Star (Free Women's Troops) carried out a series of actions on Monday at three locations in the Girê Amêdîyê region in western Zap, killing 49 soldiers. In addition, 21 military tents and twelve positions of the invading forces were destroyed. ANF spoke to the guerrillas involved in the operation.

HPG guerrilla Hewrê Çiya said: "An autumn offensive against the enemy was launched in the Şehîd Delîl area in the western Zap region. The aim of the offensive is to drive the Turkish occupation army out of our areas. The organisation has given us the opportunity to take part in this offensive and we are participating in actions in the attack column. As guerrillas, our focus is on realising this goal. The Girê (Hill) Amêdîyê, in particular, has great symbolic significance for us. Many of our comrades have fallen on this hill. They took part in the fortification of the summit and in the preparations for war. If the Girê Amêdîyê today stands like a fortress against the enemy and causes the enemy great concern, it is thanks to the efforts of the martyrs.”

"Full of feelings of revenge, we overrun the enemy"

The HPG guerrilla continued: “A moral spirit has been awakened in us. We overrun the enemy in this spirit and we are full of feelings of revenge. With our actions we want to support our comrades who are resisting in the battle tunnels. The enemy's advance in the field has been stopped. Now we want to send them back to where they came from. On the other hand, there are also forces that are loyal to the Turkish state and are trying to hinder us, but the defeat of the Turkish state also means their defeat. They can exist because the Turkish state is here. Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] said about the Turkish state: 'It is in our hands whether they live or die on this land. This applies both to the Turkish state and to those who are its slaves."

"This is our land"

YJA Star guerrilla Sakine Rojîn said that the main aim of the offensive was to respond to the policy of isolation and to support the guerrillas in the tunnels. She stated: "The enemy has been attacking the Girê Amêdîyê area since last year. The enemy is doing everything it can, including the use of chemical weapons and tactical nuclear weapons, to break the tunnel resistance here. We have decided to launch such an offensive to thwart these attacks. As YJA Star guerrillas taking part in the operation, we are aware of our responsibility. The women fighters are leading this war. The resistance continues in many areas in the Western Zap region, and we are part of the attack column in the offensive that has begun. As many of our martyrs have said, we no longer have any tolerance for this enemy. The land is our land, and the enemy is trying to colonise us in our own land. We are prepared to do whatever it takes to break this policy. The action of our goddesses of freedom, comrades Sara and Rûken, has made a great impression on all of us, and our comrades Rojhat and Erdal have become their successors. We, too, will fight in the spirit of our sacrificial comrades and we will win."

"It will seal their defeat"

HPG guerrilla Egîd Hesekê said that the guerrillas were prepared to drive the Turkish army out of the region against all odds: "The enemy was defeated in these positions last year and had to retreat. They could not muster the will to fight against the guerrillas. This year they want to try their luck here again, but we are determined to drive the enemy out of our mountains, no matter what. We believe that in this way we can do justice to the work and trust that the party has placed in us. The destruction of the enemy in these mountains will seal the defeat of the Turkish army. Foreseeing this dishonour, it is trying to force its forces to fight against us. For this reason, attacks will be intensified with all the technology at its disposal, especially from the air. Every day, at least two or three Turkish army soldiers are killed in this area. The Turkish army suffers around 50 casualties in each comprehensive operation. These losses are either concealed from the Turkish people or it is claimed that the soldiers died in accidents.

An unjust, brutal war is being waged against the guerrillas. Even war has certain rules and limits. However, the Turkish army is using all kinds of weapons against us because it has suffered a major defeat against us. Nevertheless, we cannot speak of a success for the Turkish army. Victory was always ours and will always be ours. The war also has another dimension, that of the KDP [Kurdistan Democratic Party]. We cannot understand why an organisation that claims to be Kurdish and to be responsible for the protection of Kurdistan does not raise its voice while enemy forces invade its territory. It allows the Turkish army to enter its territory unhindered. Without the PKK, the KDP would not exist today. It is only because of the PKK that the name KDP is even mentioned today. The KDP says they are friends of Turkey, but how can a power that even burns its own soldiers be your friend?"