Clashes started on June 19, with a PKK attack on a military outpost in Dağlıca,[6] that resulted in the death of 8 Turkish soldiers.[1] The attack was ordered by Bahoz Erdal, organized by Reşit Dostum and İskender Derik and carried out by 200–250 fighters under command of Yılmaz Kürdo.[1] The Turkish state responded by deploying 5,000 Turkish troops[1] supported by war planes, cobra helicopters and howitzers[3] in a counter operation that killed 26 PKK fighters according to Turkish sources.[1] According to the PKK Press Office HPG-BIM, 109 Turkish soldiers had been killed and over 100 had been wounded in the clashes. They also claimed to have shot down four Sikorsky helicopters and damaged nine others, while 15 PKK fighters had lost their lives during the clashes.[3] Turkey's state-run news agency's reported that two soldiers were killed and 10 were wounded.[4]