The Turkish army continues its attacks against guerrilla areas despite the ceasefire declared by the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) on 1 March following Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society’ announced on 27 February. Öcalan highlighted the urgent need for democratization in Turkey and called for the PKK to lay down arms and dissolve itself.

According to the HPG’s balance sheet of attacks carried out by the Turkish army against the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq), the Turkish army carried out a total of 11,585 air and ground attacks against the guerrilla areas last month.

During the month of March, the occupying Turkish army attacked the guerrillas’ tunnels in the Medya Defense Zones 11 times with chemical weapons, 9 times with banned weapons and 9 times with drones loaded with explosives. At the same time, the resistance areas were bombed 169 times by warplanes, 98 times by attack helicopters and 11,289 times by heavy weapons, artillery and howitzers.

In a statement on Thursday, the Press Center of the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) reported ongoing attacks by Turkish troops against guerrilla areas.

Details of the latest Turkish attacks are as follows:

Attacks by fighter jets

On March 30, 31 and April 1, Turkish warplanes carried out 15 strikes, targeting the Şehîd Şerîf area in Xakurkê region once; the areas of Girê Zengil, Deşta Kafya, Girê Kun, Girê Reşîd in Garê region 7 times; the areas of Serê Metîna and Bêşîlî in Metîna region four times; the areas of Girê Bahar and Girê Cûdî in Şehîd Delîl Western Zap region three times.

Attacks with heavy weapons, artillery and howitzers

On March 30, 31, and April 1 and 2, the Turkish army carried out a total of 963 attacks with heavy weapons, artillery and howitzers, targeting the areas of Kendekola, Berê Zînê, Kendekola, Sinînê and Lolan in Xakurkê region 149 times; the areas of Dêreşê, Mijê, Girgaşê, Girê Zengil, Kanî Sarkê and Zêvkê in Garê region 91 times; the areas of Serê Metîna, Şêlazê, Bêşîlî in Metîna region 35 times; Girê Amediyê area in Şehîd Delîl Western Zap region 688 times.

Interventions by the guerrillas

On April 1 at 16:00, the invaders who attacked the guerrilla tunnels in Girê Amediyê Resistance Area in Şehîd Delîl Western Zap region with an explosive-laden drone were responded to and the explosive-laden drone was destroyed.

On April 2, the invaders who attacked the guerrilla tunnels in Şêlazê Resistance Area in Metîna region were responded to with medium automatic weapons.”