The press center of the People's Defense Forces (HPG) has released the names of four fallen guerrilla fighters. Bawer Botan, Agir Tolhildan, Atakan Konya and Welat Rizgar died at different times in the course of the Bazên Zagrosê (Falcons of Zagros) guerrilla offensive against the Turkish invasion of the Zap region in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).

The ID details of the four fallen guerrillas are as follows:

Nom de Guerre: Bawer Botan First-Last Name: Hasan Özmen Birthplace: Siirt Mother's-Father's Name: Hatice – Şemsettin Date and Place of Martyrdom: 7 May 2021 / Zap

Nom de Guerre: Agir Tolhildan First-Last Name: Nuzad Muhammed Reşat Birthplace: Hesekê Mother's-Father's Name: Gulnaz – Muhammed Reşat Date and Place of Martyrdom: 7 May 2021 / Zap

Nom de Guerre: Atakan Konya First-Last Name: Hacı Aydın Birthplace: Şirnak Mother's-Father's Name: Cemile – Hüsamettin Date and Place of Martyrdom: 25 May 2021 / Zap

Nom de Guerre: Welat Rizgar First-Last Name: Vedat Yokuş Birthplace: Batman Mother's-Father's Name: Sabiha – Mehmet Zeki Date and Place of Martyrdom: 3 September 2021 / Zap

Bawer Botan was born in Siirt. His family had to leave Kurdistan due to the brutal oppression by the Turkish state and moved to Yüreğir district of Adana. There, Bawer became active in the Kurdish youth movement and was detained several times and was imprisoned twice. After his prison terms and years of involvement in the youth movement, he took to the mountains to join the guerrillas in 2015. He arrived in the Zap region as a young civilian and developed into a competent commander. "Heval Bawer, like the Zap, had a resistant and unwavering character and has played a leading role in the struggle for the last six years," the HPG wrote about him. Massive fighting and bombardment took place in the Type T area on May 6 and 7, in which Bawer Botan was martyred along with Agir Tolhildan.

Agir Tolhildan was from Hesekê and grew up with the revolution of Rojava. He witnessed various attacks against northern Syria while working for a living. In 2018, he took to the mountains and joined the guerrillas. He underwent ideological and military training and quickly got used to guerrilla life. At first, he stayed in Behdînan, then he went to the Zap region. HPG described him as a lively and impulsive person who became an exemplary militant.

Atakan Konya was born in Silopi, Şırnak and grew up in a patriotic environment. Influenced by several friends who had joined the PKK, he made the decision to join the guerrillas in 2013. After more than a year of practice in the mountains in Botan, he went to Şengal (Sinjar) at the time of the ISIS onslaught to defend the Yazidi people against the genocide. He stayed there for two years and then completed advanced military and ideological training in the Medya Defense Zones. Most recently, he fought against the Turkish invasion of the Zap region, successfully practicing the guerrillas' new tactics.

Welat Rizgar was born and raised in Batman. Since his childhood, he witnessed the Turkish state practice of physical and cultural genocide against the Kurdish people. At the time, Batman was one of the centers where JITEM and Hizbul-Kontra carried out extralegal executions. In light of these experiences, Welat joined the guerrillas in 2013 and stayed in all areas in the Zagros Mountains. He took a leading role in the actions against the Turkish invasion.

HPG expressed their condolences to the relatives of the martyrs and the patriotic people of Kurdistan.