In the Zap, Metina and Avashin regions, also known as the Medya Defence Zones of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkish armed forces continue to carry out operations targeting Kurdish fighters.

Since 23 April, Turkish armed forces have attempted to land soldiers from helicopters and drop bombs from Turkish fighter jets over dozens of areas to take control of the mountains.

Meanwhile, People’s Defence Forces (HPG) and Free Women’s Units (YJA-star) have responded to the attacks in the spirit of “resistance”. Top commanders stressed in previous statements that Kurdish fighters wage a “self-defence battle” against the “occupation attempts” of Turkey.

The cross-border operation has also been reflected within the border of Turkey as well, while three military bases in Diyarbakır (Amed), Şırnak (Şirnex) and Batman (Elih) in southeastern Turkey were hit by drone strikes, for which the HPG claimed responsibility.

According to a recent MA report based on local sources, the clashes have intensified in Hill Koordine and in the villages of Derare and Kesta in the Metina region.

It was also reported that the human loss of Turkish armed forces has reached massive numbers and the wounded soldiers are sent to Gülhane Hospital, a military hospital, located in the Turkish capital.

A peshmerga, who did not want to share their name due to security concerns, told MA that Turkey has transferred 650 Syria mercenaries, allegedly members of the Free Syrian Army, to combat the Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq.

The Syrian mercenaries were placed in a Turkish military base in the Rubarok district of Turkey’s eastern province of Hakkari (Colemerg) and so far 76 mercenaries have reportedly died during the clashes with Kurdish fighters.

Turkish minister of national defence Hulusi Akar announced on Monday that eight Turkish soldiers had lost their lives since 23 April. But the peshmerga fighter shared contradictory claims, announcing that 256 Turkish soldiers, 21 of whom were highly ranked, lost their lives.

The peshmerga fighter claimed that he learned this information from a high-ranking soldier of the Turkish armed forces in a private conversation.

A US delegation, which reportedly arrived at the Turkey-Iraq border around two weeks ago, has allegedly discovered evidence of 11 chemical gas attacks in the region, but no further information was obtained from the local sources regarding these serious claims.

Ankara initially announced that via this operation they aimed to take control of a region in northern Iraq covering 100 kilometres, but according to the statements of the Kurdish side, Turkey is far from achieving that goal.

Ankara is said to be having disputes with Erbil and Baghdat over the duration of the operations, which were reportedly planned to end much sooner.