People of Afrin: IS has not ended, exists in areas occupied by Turkey

ALAN RASHID/AL-SHAHBA

As the liberation of the village of al-Bagouz approaches which is the last stronghold of IS mercenaries in the north of Syria, this does not mean that the presence of IS mercenaries is completely ended, as IS exists openly in the areas occupied by the Turkish state in northern Syria under different names.

In this context, Mustapha Shaker, a displaced person from Qebasin district of al-Bab occupied territories, said that the defeat of IS in Deir ez-Zor does not mean the end of the mercenaries, adding "The world believes that IS ended completely in Syria, but in fact there are still sleeper cells in the areas which were liberated by the Syrian Democratic Forces(SDF)."

Shaker pointed out that "radical groups that follow  IS' ideology and are active in the areas occupied by the Turkish state in the Syrian north, such as al-Bab, Jrablos, Azzaz, Afrin and even Idlib, and these groups have received orders and support since they were created by the Turkish occupation."

"There are more than 800 families of al-Bab people in the areas of al-Shaba canton, who have chosen to leave their homes to live away from IS mercenaries," Shaker said, referring to the situation of parents who refused to live among mercenaries.

In turn, the citizen in Berxwedan camp, Ibrahim Barakat, of the Yazidi component, said that IS, which receives its support from the Turkish state, "held a number of agreements against us as the people of Yazidi, which were intended to end our presence on the ground."

Barakat added that the mercenaries are besieged in a small enclave in the village of al-Bagouz live their last days, "but they are in the areas occupied by Turkey and exercise their activities freely and with the support of the Turkish occupation, , and the best example is raising the mercenaries' flags in the center of Afrin."

The citizen Nasreen Shabo from Afrin, said,  " the end of IS in Deir ez-Zor is approaching, we are the people of Afrin will continue our resistance and struggle against these mercenaries supported by the Turkish state in many areas occupied by the Turkish state. We will stand side by side with our people to liberate Afrin and all areas occupied by mercenaries and the Turkish state."

A.H

ANHA