HPG

Kurdistan People's Defence Forces

Press Release

1. On 25 April, an action was organized against secret units of the Turkish army located on the slopes of Kember and Siser hills in the Sheikh Cuma area of Bitlis province.

Our YJA Star forces have carried out actions in two arms by putting this unit under surveillance. As a result of the hits which were performed from 15 meters away and with individual and RPG-7 guns, 10 soldiers were killed and several soldiers were wounded. After the action, 2 Sikorsky helicopters came to the scene and carried away the dead and wounded. The enemy forces bombing the area with Cobra helicopters and mortar weapons immediately launched operations on the ridges of Siser and Kember after carrying out setdowns. On April 26, the operation was withdrawn in an inconclusive manner, leaving behind its secret units.

- Trees from the Mıle Evdi hill in the Hizan district of Bitlis are still cut by the soldiers, supported by the village guards, despite our guerrilla forces warning the village guards there. On April 26, at 16:30, our forces carried out a sabotage action against a group of soldiers while coming down from the hill to cut the forest, and two soldiers were killed in this action. After the action, the soldiers blocked all the roads leading to the scene and launched a partial operation in the area. Both actions were made in memory of our comrades who were martyred in Garzan.

2. On the morning of April 19, the Turkish army launched an operation in Mardin's Kerboran (Dargeçit) district where 5 thousand troops participated. Soldiers placed some areas in the field with cameras. This operation was withdrawn in the evening on April 22nd.

3. On April 26, between 13:00 and 13:30, the Turkish army's warplanes bombed the Martyr Rüstem area of ​​the Zap region from our Medya Defense Zones. On April 25th, between 07:00 and 07:30, the warplanes bombarded the Ertuş area on the Çukurca border line.

April 27, 2017

HPG Press Centre