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Turkey’s Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar on Thursday stated that 105 Kurdish fighters had lost their lives during the clashes in northern Iraq since 23 April.
In another statement issued by Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence, five Kurdish fighters – allegedly members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), as announced by the ministry – lost their lives during the clashes in the Avashin-Basyan region on 12 May.
During his visit on 8 May to the Special Forces Command, Akar stated that the recent operations in northern Iraq are “not new, but part of a continuum” of an ongoing war. He also included “northern Syria” in the balance sheet of the war they have been waging. Since 1 January 2021, Akar stated that, in total, 988 Kurdish fighters had been killed “in northern Iraq and in northern Syria”.
The People’s Defence Forces (HPG), meanwhile, issued a new statement on 12 May relating to the clashes that have been taking place in Zap, Avashin and Metina regions which have been targeted by the Turkish campaign, ANF reported.
The HPG stated that a number of regions including Hill Zendura, Keste regions, Geliye Avaşin regions, Şikefta Britindara regions and Werxele regions were shelled by Turkish fighter jets and helicopters during Tuesday and Wednesday.
“We had no life losses during these bombardments,” HPG stated.
“HPG shares its details day by day, and also has provided a 10-day balance sheet. These statements are the facts. This situation unmasks the fascist chiefs of the Turkish General Staff and of the Ministry of War,” said Duran Kalkan, an Executive Committee member of the PKK on 11 May in an interview with ANF.
According to the HPG’s balance sheet announced on 4 May, in total, 147 Turkish armed forces soldiers and 6 Kurdish fighters had lost their lives between 23 April and 3 May during the clashes in Iraqi Kurdistan.
