Stating that the Turkish army has launched an air-supported occupation operation against Heftanin, HPG said: "Whatever the name of these land-based occupation operations they will be answered most effectively and the occupying Turkish state will we dealt a heavy blow."

The HPG Press Center made a written statement regarding the invasion attack launched by Turkey on Heftanin.

In the statement the HPG said: “The occupying Turkish army carried out an invasion operation in the Heftanin region in the Medya Defense Areas on 23 August 2019. On 16 June (yesterday) the invading Turkish army launched a new invasion attack on Heftanin which can be seen as a continuation of that first invasion operation. With the support of drones and attack helicopters, the invaders attacked these areas and dropped soldiers on the Martyr Sipan Hill in the Bektorya area, the Martyr Berivan Hill and Tepê Dupişk areas in the Martyr Kendal area.”

The statement continued: “The occupying Republic of Turkey is trying to occupy strategic places in the Medya Defense Areas following the occupation concept it is developing. The fascist genocidal Turkish state, whose target and objective is to occupy the territory of Kurdistan, from the Medya Defense Areas to North Kurdistan, will be answered in the most effective way regardless the name they put to these invasion operations by land.

We will be sharing with the public detailed information about this land operation as soon as we have them.”

The HPG statement also highlighted the following: “On June 15 at 9 pm, the invading Turkish army war planes bombed Derarê in the Metina region.

On June 17 (today) between 00.00 and 00.30, fighter jets bombed the Deşta Kafya area from the Media Defense Areas to the Garê region. We did not experience any loss in these bombardments.

Operation and clashes in Dersim

On 30 May, the invading Turkish army launched an occupation operation in the Axvanis valley in the rural part of Dersim, Ovacık district. The operation continued until 7 June and there were intense clashes between the invaders and our forces. Our friends, Agir, Evil, Renas, Munzur, Gulan and Jiyanda, who fought ferociously against the enemy for 8 days fell martyrs. The clashes resulted in heavy losses for the enemy.”