The People’s Defence Forces (HPG) have revealed the outcome of their battles against the Turkish army in June, confirming that 45 operations executed by guerrilla fighters resulted in the deaths of 44 soldiers from the Turkish army.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the HPG Media Centre shared the details of the June clashes with the Turkish army. Referring to the Sivas Massacre in 1993, the statement asserted that the Turkish state regime seeks to suppress diverse beliefs and ethnic groups through acts of violence and assimilation, while singling out Sunnis and Turks with the “objective to transform all sects and peoples in Turkey into Turks and Sunnis.”
Regarding the actions of the Turkish army, the HPG highlighted extensive attacks in the southeastern regions of Turkey, also known as Bakurê Kurdistanê or North Kurdistan, involving relentless bombardment of areas designated for defence through ground and air assaults. The statement revealed that during June, these areas were subjected to “127 airstrikes, 40 attacks from helicopters and 2,148 bombardments using artillery, tanks, heavy weaponry and banned explosives.”
Additionally, the HPG mentioned the deployment of chemical weapons against their positions in the “resistance zones” on 26 occasions. They also noted the use of machinery to demolish their tunnels, further illustrating the intensity of the conflict.
The HPG emphasised that their forces were acting in self-defence against the Turkish army’s assaults and had transitioned into an active phase from 13 June onwards. As a result, they were able to deliver “significant blows to the Turkish occupation army.”
According to the statement, a total of 45 operations were conducted by the HPG, resulting in the deaths of 44 Turkish soldiers and the destruction of a Rio vehicle, camera and radar system throughout June.
