The Press Center of the People's Defense Forces (HPG) has published the names of two guerrillas who fell martyrs in July 2024. According to the statement, guerrillas Şerzan Herekol and Botan Dalaho were killed in an enemy attack in the Medya Defense Areas. The HPG paid tribute to the fallen guerrillas, saying they were valuable militants of the Kurdish freedom movement and expressed its condolences to the relatives and the people of Kurdistan.

 Code name: Şerzan Herekol

 First and last name: Rıdvan Şengil

 Place of birth: Adana

 Mother and father's names: Şemsê - Salih

 Date and place of death: 25/7/2024 Medya Defense Areas

 Code name: Botan Dalaho

 First and last name: Karwan Mihemed Xalid

 Place of birth: Silêmanî

 Mother and father's names: Newroz - Xalid

 Date and place of death: 25/7/2024 Medya Defense Areas

Şerzan Herekol

Şerzan Herekol was born in Adana and belonged to the Kurdish Garisî tribe. His family originally came from Siirt-Eruh (Sêrt-Dih) and had to leave their village due to repression by the Turkish state. Although Şerzan grew up outside Kurdistan, he retained his Kurdish identity and became active in the revolutionary youth movement as an adolescent.

Because the Turkish state classifies even democratic and legal activities of the Kurdish movement as terrorist activities, Şerzan was arrested. In prison, he continued his education and prepared himself ideologically for guerrilla warfare. He was married and would have had the opportunity to find a place for himself within the capitalist system after his release. Instead, he held on to his convictions and went to the mountains in 2017. By joining the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla, he fulfilled a long-held dream.

He took part in basic training for new fighters in the Medya Defense Areas and then took part in practical work in the mountains. He was aware that preparation is crucial to the outcome of the war and requires selfless commitment. At the same time, he attached great importance to comradeship and ideological values ​​and developed into an apoist militant who defended the principles of the PKK in all the tasks he undertook. In further ideological training, he intensively examined his own personality and his previous practice and dealt with the requirements of modern guerrilla warfare.

When he was subsequently transferred to the front at his own request, his primary concern was to avenge his comrades who had fallen in Turkish chemical weapons attacks. He took part in various revolutionary operations against the Turkish occupation forces and played a leading role in the resistance through his courage and military skills.

"Our companion Şerzan fell a martyr on 25 July 2024 and left us an unforgettable combat legacy with his close connection to the values ​​of our party and his sincere and profound comradeship. As his successors, we promise to keep his memory alive in free Kurdistan," said the HPG.

Botan Dalaho

Botan Dalaho came from the Dalaho region in Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan/Western Iran). He was born in Sulaymaniyah in South Kurdistan (North Iraq) because his family had to leave their homeland due to the repression of the Iranian regime. In order to contribute to the family's livelihood, he took on various jobs at a young age and learned to stand on his own two feet through work. At the same time, he became aware that the capitalist system is based on exploitation.

He was interested in all parts of Kurdistan and took a stand against the widespread eradication of Kurdish identity. In his search for options, he came into contact with the PKK movement and took part in revolutionary youth work. The successful fight against ISIS in Rojava and Shengal, which resulted in high casualties, left a particularly lasting impression on him. In order to participate, he decided to join the armed resistance and wanted to go to the mountains. He had to put this wish on hold for a while because he was needed in the youth movement and his organizational skills were needed.

It was not until 2017 that he joined the guerrillas, something he considered the first step towards a free life. He underwent basic military and ideological training and concentrated on the philosophy of Abdullah Öcalan. He shared his findings with his comrades. He took on various tasks, completed a specialized military course and saw himself as responsible for the further training of his comrades everywhere. In Zap, he took part in the construction of tunnel systems and powerful resistance actions against the Turkish invasion troops. The HPG said in its statement that Botan devoted every moment of his revolutionary life to the Kurdistan freedom struggle and was guided by the line of willingness to sacrifice until his last breath.