HPG reports ongoing guerrilla resistance against Turkish invasion

The guerrillas are defending Kurdistan under the most difficult conditions against the Turkish occupation forces. Ten soldiers were killed in the latest actions, an armoured vehicle and a Turkish army position were destroyed.

The guerrillas of the HPG (People’s Defense Forces) and YJA Star (Free Women’s Troops) continue their actions against the Turkish invading forces in the Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) without interruption. "Our forces combine modern guerrilla tactics and show the whole world with high sacrifice and under the most difficult conditions that they are the defenders of Kurdistan", the daily press centre of the HPG said in a current overview of the war in Kurdistan. According to the statement, ten soldiers were killed and two wounded in the latest guerrilla actions, an armoured vehicle and a Turkish position were destroyed.

HPG dedicated these actions to the legendary guerrilla commander Mahsum Korkmaz (Nom de Guerre "Egîd"), who fired the first shot of the PKK in Eruh district of Siirt on 15 August 1984, thus initiating the armed liberation struggle.

ACTIONS BY THE GUERRILLAS

Regarding the guerrilla actions, the HPG reported that on 8 August, two soldiers were killed in a guerrilla action with heavy weapons and an enemy position was destroyed in the Şikefta Birîndara area in the Zap region. On 9 August morning, mobile guerrilla units again struck the occupation forces in the area with heavy weapons.

Also on Tuesday, the guerrillas intervened with firearms against a Turkish army advance in the Çemço area in Zap, and the force was forced to withdraw. On Tuesday evening, mobile units gained control of an armoured vehicle trying to advance from Kunîşka to Çemço. The armoured vehicle was destroyed with heavy weapons, leaving seven soldiers dead and another injured. The dead were taken away by the Turkish army by helicopters.

At Girê Amêdî, a soldier was shot dead by a mobile sniper unit at noon on Tuesday when the invading forces tried to blow up the Şehîd Pîrdoğan tunnel. Another soldier was wounded.

ATTACKS BY THE TURKISH ARMY

According to the HPG statement, the Turkish army launched an extensive military operation in the Esendere area of Yüksekova district in Hakkari province on 1 August. The operation was suspended on 6 August without results.

On 8 and 9 August, the Turkish army used chemical weapons and tactical bombs a total of three times in the guerrillas' tunnel facilities in the Girê FM, Werxelê and Şikefta Birîndara areas. The Saca and Serê Metîna areas were bombed three times by fighter jets on Tuesday. Today, Girê FM and Kurojahro areas have been attacked seven times by attack helicopters. Dozens of other attacks on the guerrilla areas in southern Kurdistan were carried out on Tuesday with tanks, howitzers and heavy weapons.