Kurdish Rebels Claim Responsibility For Attack On Oil Pipeline

From: Ozgur Politika in Turkish June 17, 2005

Mha/Behdinan - HPG [People's Defence Forces] Press and Liaison Centre (BIM) has said that they carried out an act of sabotage targeting an oil pipeline passing through Idil, Midyat. It noted that 40,000 barrels of oil were lost as a result of the attack. BIM also said that two commandos were killed in an ambush laid by a group guerrillas in a rural area of Sirnak. 

BIM noted that the Turkish army had launched an operation against guerrilla forces in Gundik Remo, Spindarok, and Navakara, which are located in the rural areas of Sirnak near Mount Cudi. It said: "Intensive attacks supported by Cobra helicopters and other military equipment were carried out during the TSK [Turkish Armed Forces] operation, which was extended on 15 June to include Gire Hirmo. Our guerrillas did not suffer any casualty during the operation, which is still under way." BIM added that it would issue a more detailed statement about the military operation.

BIM also said that the Turkish Army had conducted an operation in Deriye Meydana and Deriye Beroj, also located in the rural parts of Sirnak, on 14 June. According to the statement, guerrillas ambushed a military unit advancing in the area and killed two commandos.

BIM said that the Turkish army was putting pressure on civilian population in the area after a military truck was totally destroyed and two soldiers had been killed an attack mounted by guerrilla groups in an area between Kocan village and Karayazi district of Erzurum on 10 June. The statement noted: "Unable to respond to a series of surprising attacks launched by our guerrilla units, the TSK is trying to blame those attacks on the civilian population and thus to legitimize its oppression. The civilian population in the region is still being subjected to oppression." BIM added that the HPG did not suffer any casualty in the clashes, which occurred during the military operations.