In its daily statement about the ongoing war in the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq), the press centre of the People's Defense Forces (HPG) reported that the guerrillas continue their resistance against the Turkish occupation operation.

"The Turkish occupation army is not achieving any results against the steely will of the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla and is trying to advance by using every form of war technique and war crimes. The legendary resistance of our forces in the resistance areas of Şikefta Birîndara, Karker and Werxelê has been going on for about five months. Within this period, the Turkish army has not been able to airdrop and deploy troops everywhere despite all the technical attacks. For this reason, it is using excavators to clear the way to our fighting positions. The army of the Republic of Turkey is committing war crimes and waging a dirty war based on technical means. Nevertheless, it cannot prevent our forces from striking blows and inflicting casualties. In the actions carried out by our forces with great courage and competent strike methods, six occupants were punished and an excavator was severely damaged. The Turkish occupation forces have attacked the resistance areas eight times with tactical nuclear bombs and chemical weapons, 23 times with attack helicopters, 26 times with fighter planes and dozens of times with howitzers and heavy weapons," said the HPG statement released on Thursday.

The HPG Press Centre gave the following details on the latest guerrilla actions against Turkish troops:

ZAP

On 24 August, an advancing squad of the Turkish army was targeted by snipers in the Şikefta Birîndara area in the Zap region and two soldiers were shot dead. The Turkish army then tried to get to a guerrilla position with armoured vehicles and diggers. The guerrillas struck this force from two flanks. A mobile guerrilla unit used heavy weapons and damaged one digger, while the other diggers then retreated. The second guerrilla group shot a soldier dead.

On the same day, guerrillas struck the invading forces in the Çemço area with heavy weapons. This morning, at eight o'clock, guerrillas hit the invaders trying to get stationed in the vicinity of the battle positions in Çemço, forcing them to retreat.

On the other hand, at least two soldiers were killed in a guerrilla action with heavy weapons in the Karker area.

GIRÊ CÛDÎ

At Girê Cûdî, a soldier was shot dead by a mobile sniper unit on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the invading forces were struck while trying to set up a camp in the area. The soldiers fled into the compound. On the same day, the guerrillas carried out a sabotage action against a Turkish unit that was trying to install a surveillance camera in the vicinity of a defensive position. The unit had to retreat.