HPG: 69 Turkish soldiers killed in Ağrı

HPG Press Office reported that 69 soldiers of the Turkish army were killed in operations carried out by guerrillas in the countryside of Ağrı’s Doğubayazıt district.

People’s Defense Forces (HPG) Press Office reported that the Turkish army launched a comprehensive operation with the participation of a large number of soldiers, village guards and counter-guerrilla forces in Demirkapı area of Ağrı's Bazid (Doğubayazıt) district on September 27.

In response to this operation, guerrillas carried out intensive actions against the Turkish army within the scope of the Martyr Mahir, Martyr Eylem and Martyr Argeş revolutionary campaign.

HPG gave the following details on the Turkish military operation and guerrilla actions;

“In the morning of September 28, when the occupying Turkish army tried to enter the area with the support of the Cobra-type attack helicopters, guerrilla forces targeted Cobra helicopters and put them under heavy fire. A cobra-type helicopter was hit effectively and the Cobra helicopters were forced to retreat from the area, after which operational forces could not enter the area for a while. On the same day after noon, Turkish forces bombed the area with howitzers, mortars, and Cobra-type helicopters that tried to enter the area again.

Guerrillas hit a Cobra-type helicopter that was damaged as a result of the effective strikes, and forced to withdraw from the area.

On the same day, at 16.30, a unit of the operation was targeted by guerrilla forces in Girê Gundê Türkmena area. Five soldiers were killed and three soldiers were wounded here.

On September 29, at 07:30, the Turkish forces attempted to enter Martyr Navdar area with the support of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). Guerrilla forces surrounded a unit of operation that was trying to enter the area, and hit this unit at close range. The unit, which suffered heavy blows, fled from area leaving dead and wounded soldiers behind.

Bodies of 20 soldiers remained at the scene and guerrillas seized ammunition and many military items belonging to them. The soldiers’ bodies remained under the control of guerrilla forces until the evening.

In order to assert control over the area, Turkish forces hit the area twice with Cobra-type helicopters, and carried out intensive bombardments on the area. Yet, they could not gain control over the mentioned area.

During the course of the mobilization that continued until the evening hours, Turkish troops trying to enter the area from the land were shot in nine different points by the guerrillas. 30 Turkish soldiers were identified killed in the actions which continued until 18:00 and 18 soldiers were wounded in the evening.

On the same day at around 17:00, a military convoy of the Turkish army, which came to reinforce the operational forces in the area, was also targeted by the guerrillas in the area of Deşta Burno Ruto. In this action, where all the vehicles and soldiers in the convoy were put under fire, an armored vehicle and a transit vehicle were destroyed, and 8 soldiers were killed while more than 20 others were wounded. The Turkish forces removed dead and wounded soldiers from the area until night hours with the support of UAVs and cobra-type helicopters."