Unfortunately. I personally think that the operation was not a wise decision. The security was on a very high level and everything from terrain to the facility itself was prepared specially for hostages and the ability to execute them fast if something happens with multiple jail bar doors and courtain inside. There are also much thing that nobody can predict. For me that operation was mission impossible. All the factors there were on the opposite of the 3 main principles for surprise, violence of action and fire superiority were impossible to implement there. You can't have surprise, violence and fire superiority in a cave with 1 massive steel door, 6 jail bars, curtains and a 1.20m wide tunnel which is also 1.20m high (just enough so you can crawl).Shame how the hostages could not be saved from those kurdish terrorists.
How do you blow a massive steel door which is followed by a jail bar door (30cm further) in a cave and how can you move fast after all that debris trough a 120cm high tunnel so you can get to a point of which you have a visual to the main cell. The other two entry points are heavily guarded and the space is tight. Only one hand grenade is needed to take out the whole team. There is a section in the tunnel where the tunnel is tight and looking at the space and the character of the operation the effective use of shields is out of question. For me this is a mission impossible. I am sure our guys trained a lot but they were going for a mission impossible for me. I am 100% sure that the hostages were executed in the moment they heard the helicopters because you have a 3 drop points and probably other units securing perimeter and serving as JTAC and second line/supportive role other than the raid teams. That's a lot of noise let alone the other air strikes and planned activity of other units. Unfortunately it had to happen one way or another because Gara is very important and we had to enter that place sooner or later. Rest in Peace to all the martyrs lost their lives there. We should look with hope for new success as this paved the way for many more that are yet to come.