The invading Turkish state continued its air and ground attacks throughout February against the guerrilla forces that halted their actions due to the earthquake disaster. The invaders shelled guerrilla areas with unconventional bombs 142 times.
The Press Center of the People's Defence Forces (HPG) published the balance sheet of war in the guerrilla-held Medya Defence Zones for the month of February. The report contains facts and figures on cross-border air and ground attacks by Turkey in southern Kurdistan as well as results of the actions carried out by the HPG and the YJA STAR(Free Women's Troops) in the field of self-defence.
The HPG balance sheet for the month of February includes the following:
"The Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla, the leading force in the struggle to protect the existence and secure the freedom of our oppressed peoples, continues to defend the territories of Kurdistan at all times of the year, even under the harsh conditions of winter. In this sense, our forces, which have reformed themselves according to the principle of the Guerrilla of Democratic Modernity, dealt a series of heavy blows with a wide tactical spectrum to the Turkish occupation army in the first week of February.
On the basis of the call of the Kurdistan Communities Union, which represents the political will of our people and our revolution, to rest the weapons so that a solidarity healing process of the wounds of our peoples can take place as a result of the earthquakes of 6 February, our forces have stopped their actions. The People's Defense Centre (HSM) Headquarters Command announced the decision to put the requirements of this decision into practice on February 11.
Our freedom struggle and our forces, which are based on fundamental human values and social morality as basic principles, have fulfilled their responsibility in this difficult time with great seriousness and meticulousness. In contrast, the Turkish occupying army under the leadership of Hulusi Akar continues to escalate its attacks against the guerrillas. The Medya Defence Zones have been bombarded countless times by fighter jets, attack helicopters, tanks, artillery and howitzers. These attacks have probably not been satisfactory because, in addition, the guerrilla resistance positions have been intensively attacked with chemical weapons and unconventional bombs. In particular, our positions in the Zap have come under increased attack in recent days, including with phosphorus shells and other chemical warfare agents. On 9 February, our companion Mazlum Dêrşewî fell as a martyr in the course of the bombardments in the Zap region.
Instead of mobilising all available resources of the state and showing humanitarian behaviour to heal the wounds of peoples in Turkey, the AKP/MHP regime and the Turkish army subordinated to it are pumping all resources into the war to maintain their power and are committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Zap. This fascist regime, which is pouring all its resources into its genocidal war of extermination against the Kurdish people, thus throwing the whole country into a spiral of misery, has shown once again through its handling of the earthquake that it is the enemy of all peoples.
Our forces, who have stopped their actions in response to the call of our movement, have given the necessary response 47 times to defend themselves against these massive attacks. In the process, 18 occupiers were punished, and one other was injured. Our struggle, which has been sustained by the sacrifices of our oppressed people and the commitment of our martyrs to this day, will continue with great determination. The guerrillas will carry out their responsibilities according to the current phase, but there will continue to be necessary response to the ongoing extermination attacks on the basis of legitimate self-defence."
BALANCE SHEET OF WAR
HPG announced the balance sheet of war from the 1st to the 28th of February as follows:
Attacks by the Turkish army:
Our forces recorded at least 30 air strikes by fighter jets and 18 attacks by attack helicopters in the Medya Defence Zones. These bombings were primarily directed against guerrilla resistance positions. During the same period, the areas in question were shelled 874 times by howitzers, mortars, tanks and heavy weapons.
The guerrilla resistance positions were bombed with phosphorus-enriched shells, unconventional bombs and chemical weapons 142 times.
Military equipment destroyed by our forces:
- 4 military positions
- 5 camera surveillance systems
- 1 A4 machine gun
- 1 B7 machine gun
- 1 grenade launcher
- 1 Jammer
In addition, one combat helicopter was damaged by our forces.
