On April 23, the Turkish army launched a large-scale invasion against the Zap, Avashin and Metina regions located in the Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq). Guerrillas are putting up fierce resistance. So far, it has not been possible for the Turkish army to get stationed permanently and create a bridgehead. Thus, soldiers remain stuck in the immediate vicinity of the Turkish border and are sent into southern Kurdistan from border bases. Due to high losses, the Turkish army is resorting to various means to spare its own troops as much as possible. Mercenaries from the so-called Syrian National Army (SNA) have been sent to the region for more than a week. Now, intensive troop movements have been observed at the Andaç border base near Uludere district in the province of Şırnak.

At least 50 paramilitaries, known as village guards, from the villages of Gülyazı and Yemişli have been ordered to the Andaç border base. From there, they were reportedly taken to the combat area in armored vehicles. Quite a few village guards reportedly tried to refuse to be deployed. However, they were forced by the military to go to the Zap front.

What are village guards?

Village guards are paramilitary units used in Kurdistan against guerrillas and anti-government Kurds. They consist to a considerable extent of tribal leaders, large landowners, families and individuals who have often been working with the state for decades and attempt to advocate for the interests of the state in Kurdistan. Some of the village guards join this system voluntarily; others are threatened with murder, arrest, and expulsion and must become village guards under pressure. Many Kurds who have refused to collaborate have either had to flee or bow to pressure from the military and the village guards. Thousands of Kurdish villages where the village guard system was rejected were burned and razed to the ground by the state in the 1990s.