The guerrillas have launched an offensive against the Turkish army in Southern Kurdistan. In a statement announcing the details of the operation, the press centre of the People's Defence Forces (HPG) said: "The Turkish occupation forces wanted to advance in the Girê Cûdî resistance area. Our forces on the ground used this situation as an opportunity to launch a revolutionary retaliation operation for the innocent children of the Kurdish people who were basely killed by the Turkish state in Bamernê and Shengal. In this operation carried out by our mobile units in a professional way with different tactics, our comrades did not even suffer any nosebleeds. Our forces on the ground successfully punished 57 occupants and taught the Turkish army a historic lesson. The attacks of the heavily battered Turkish army in this area and the retaliation operation of our forces at Girê Cûdî continue. Five occupants have been punished in further actions in the Zap and Metîna regions. Our forces have thus punished 62 occupiers without any losses of their own."

The statement reported that dozens of airstrikes have been carried out by the Turkish army on the guerrilla areas, including 14 strikes by fighter jets and 26 by attack helicopters. In addition, hundreds of attacks with howitzers were recorded. The guerrilla tunnels were attacked eleven times with chemical weapons and explosives.

Regarding the other guerrilla actions in the Medya Defense Zones, HPG gave the following details:

Three soldiers shot dead by YJA Star snipers in Zap

At the Şehîd Hewrê tunnel, an advance attempt by the Turkish army was repelled with heavy weapons on Wednesday. Last night, YJA Star (Free Women’s Troops) snipers shot dead three soldiers in the Karker area.

Turkish base in Metîna targeted by guerrillas

On 13 June, a soldier was shot dead by an HPG sniper at the Turkish base Kanî Masî. On Wednesday, the base was targeted by guerrillas with heavy weapons.

At Girê Hekarî, the guerrillas targeted an advancing Turkish unit with heavy weapons on Thursday morning, killing one soldier. Afterwards, the Turkish army wanted to carry out demolitions at an underground guerrilla position and was again targeted by guerrillas with heavy weapons. The soldiers then retreated.

Soldiers at Girê Cûdî called to surrender

On 15 June, the occupation forces wanted to advance towards the guerrilla tunnel at Girê Cûdî and were led by a collaborator who was supposed to show them the way. The guerrillas laid an ambush and thus gained control of the Turkish unit. At 6.30 pm, the mobile guerrilla units called on the soldiers to surrender. When they tried to flee, they were struck from two flanks. According to HPG information, a large number of soldiers were killed and the guerrillas came across twelve bodies. When the Turkish army realised that their force had been largely wiped out, the area where the bodies remained was shelled dozens of times with howitzers and bombed four times from the air. The surviving soldiers scattered into the compound and were targeted by snipers, and five soldiers were shot dead. The bodies remain under guerrilla control. The area was heavily bombed by Turkish fighter jets and helicopters at 10.30 pm, after which troops were airdropped from helicopters at Girê Şehîd Baran and Girê Şehîd Kendal.

Last night at 1.45 am, YJA Star guerrillas struck a Turkish unit at Girê Cûdî from close range with firearms. 15 soldiers were killed and military equipment was destroyed in the attack.

At 3 a.m., guerrillas carried out three sabotage actions against soldiers who tried to advance towards a guerrilla tunnel, leaving at least five soldiers dead. Nine more soldiers were killed in an action carried out by guerrillas from three flanks. Ten soldiers who fled into the compound were shot dead by snipers. Afterwards, the guerrillas established the location of a Turkish army sniper and shot him dead as well. There are numerous dead bodies and injured soldiers in the compound.

According to HPG information, the death of 57 soldiers has been clearly established at Girê Cûdî since Wednesday evening. However, the number of dead and injured is even higher.