The press office of the People's Defense Forces (HPG) has released a statement on the Turkish military aggression in the Gare area of the guerrilla held Medya Defense Zones in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq).

As the HPG had previously announced, the Gare operation began Wednesday night with extensive bombardments by the Turkish Air Force. "First clashes occurred in Siyanê area at 5 o'clock on February 10 after the Turkish state heavily bombed several areas in the Garê region and airdropped soldiers amidst helicopter attacks at 3 a.m. Due to the effective bombardment of our forces here, a large number of the occupying forces were killed, while some others sustained injuries. As a result of the losses, invading forces had to withdraw in stages. The battle area and a camp with prisoners of war were intensively bombed by fighter jets. Subsequently, our forces again struck the occupation forces that had gathered in the meantime. The death of several dozen soldiers was recorded. After this heavy blow, the occupying forces were forced to withdraw from the combat area."

At noon on Wednesday, Siyanê was bombed a total of six times by Turkish warplanes. Another aggression by attack helicopters was prevented by the intervention of the guerrillas. Meanwhile, fighting in the area continues unabated. Reconnaissance planes and fighter jets circle non-stop over Gare.

Turkish army airstrikes continued on Thursday. According to the HPG report, the village of Sêdarê was bombed six times. Five air strikes were recorded in the area of Nêranê. The outskirts of the villages of Museleka, Bilindbazê and Şkeftiyan were hit a total of nine times. Since February 11 evening, intense air activity by Sikorsky helicopters has been observed between Akrê and Siyanê and in the Qela Seddam area.

Airdropped troops encircled by the guerrilla

"The occupying forces stationed on the line between Ergenê and Siyanê have tried to expand their area on the ground. In the whole of Gare, there have been attempted airdrops, which have been prevented by interventions of our forces. The Turkish army's attack on Gare has been thwarted by the resistance of the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla. The occupants airdropped in the region are have been encircled by our forces. The Turkish army is trying to protect their forces through intensive airstrikes."

Desperate situation for the Turkish army

"The Turkish occupation army is in a desperate situation due to the heavy strikes of our forces and is using massive war technology. The battlefield is being intensively bombed. Our members confront and frustrate the enemy's technology through their new-age tactics and the unwavering Apoist will of the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla. The enemy fails to achieve a result against the guerrillas and has been inflicted one blow after another."

Statement of the Turkish Ministry of Defense untrue

HPG also pointed out that the casualties in the ranks of the occupation forces are deliberately kept low by the Turkish Ministry of Defense in order to deceive the public. "In the battles alone, the Turkish army has suffered more than thirty casualties. Meanwhile, the number of our casualties is being manipulated upwards. We will announce exact details of our casualties along with their identities."

No information on KDP’s involvement

HPG said they do not have any fastening with regard to the participation of KDP forces in the Gare operation, adding; "However, the Turkish troops and helicopters that are partaking in the attack have been transferred to Gare from Şırnak to the Bashika base and from there on through the Bakirman subdistrict in Akra. There were no reactions from the KDP at all."

Ibrahim Parim not a PKK member

Finally, the HPG denied the media reports that a leading PKK member was captured during a special operation by the Turkish intelligence service MIT in Southern Kurdistan.

HPG said that Ibrahim Parim, presented by the official AA news agency as the PKK's "logistics officer" had been expelled from the Kurdish liberation movement a long time ago; “He was an ordinary person without a position who had surrendered to the enemy after being expelled from the PKK. The media coverage of Parim is nothing more than psychological warfare and propaganda.”