Commander in Euphrates Wrath: YPJ fighters took revenge for all women in globe

ISIS mercenaries had made Raqqa their capital, and established many slave markets in the city, selling captured Shengal women in slavery markets. They sold women in the Naim roundabout as if they were tools, and they slaughtered people to show their brutality, terrorize people, and spread fear in their hearts so that they would fear them. After bitter years of injustice and brutality, the Euphrates Wrath campaign was launched at the request of the people of the region on June 16, 2017, led by the Women’s Protection Units, and the city was liberated on October 17 of the same year, led by YPJ units.

A member of the General Command of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) and one of the commanders of the Euphrates Wrath campaign, Zanarin Kobani, spoke to ANHA's agency about the campaign to liberate Raqqa, and said: "ISIS is a terrorist force that no country or force in the Middle East has been able to fight. The forces that fought ISIS, rose up against it, and never accepted surrendering to it are our forces in the People's Protection Units (YPJ) and the Women's Protection Units (YPJ), especially after the resistance and heroism in Kobani and the sacrifices and self-sacrifice of the YPJ fighters and the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their people. This resistance resonated in the world, so it became a source of resistance for all peoples and all forces. On this basis, the people of the region demanded the launch of a campaign to liberate the city of Raqqa, which ISIS declared its capital. Based on this, extensive discussions were held. On this basis, a very strong and solid organization was built, and the fighters of the People's Protection Units (YPJ), the Women's Protection Units (YPJ), and the Shengal Women's Units participated in this campaign with the forces of the Manbij Military Council, the Sanadid Forces, and the Separation Forces. The campaign began on four axes and we began the first steps in three stages. First, we cut off the roads and the enemy’s siege, and in this way we can say that we were able to besiege ISIS in a very short period.

'We can win as long as women are present' commander Zanarin pointed out that no force could stand up to the fighters of the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Women's Protection Units (YPJ), and continued her speech saying: "These forces that terrified everyone and no one could confront them, were filled with fear in front of the fighters of the Women's Protection Units, especially since the campaign was led by women, and fought by female fighters and leaders. The battles were raging on many fronts and they were making many calls. They were calling for "let everyone fight against us except the women, even if we are killed we do not want to be killed by women's bullets, let us confront everyone except the women.." they were shouting this, their anger was clearly evident during the fierce battles. That is, they were calling many times to do whatever you want but in the end we will die by men's weapons. They often talked about themselves over the radio to intimidate and frighten us, especially the women's forces, but they found that on the fronts where women were present and the fronts led by women were the fronts that witnessed the most ISIS suffered an unparalleled defeat. They planted IEDs in the desert roads and international roads where they could not position themselves. They planted many mines, but they were all removed in a short period of time. They did not achieve the result they hoped for from these mines. Because we launched a mine-clearing campaign, their attacks did not achieve their results. We truly saw in this war that no force could withstand the fighters of the People's Protection Units and the Women's Protection Units. The people of the region saw this war with their own eyes, and their reception and attitude towards us was very good. The Women's Protection Units gave them hope and confidence. Our mothers would embrace their comrades and often kiss them. They would say, "This is not a dream or an illusion, but a reality." They were getting rid of their hatred and anger that had been ongoing for years. We saw how those women who were assaulted, killed, sold in the markets, and forced to wear black abayas.

Commander Zanarin said that the Euphrates Wrath campaign was like a historic revenge, and she said: “The fear that ISIS spread in the hearts of women and their exposure to pressure, oppression, killing and sexual assault in front of the world, aroused their hatred and anger, and as much as our anger and hatred towards our enemy, we can say that with the help of the people of Raqqa and the leadership of women, we achieved the historic global revenge for the women of Shengal, Raqqa and Kobani. This campaign was launched by the Syrian Democratic Forces, the People’s Protection Units and the leadership of the Women’s Protection Units, and in addition to that, we were accompanied by the enthusiasm and passion of our people. At the same time, this campaign included all components, Arab, Kurdish, Syriac, Armenian and Assyrian women, and all components of the region cooperated together to liberate Raqqa, which ISIS declared their capital, and provided the required assistance. ISIS used our people as human shields. The people who wanted to leave and come to us were targeted by snipers from behind, that is, they used people as human shields. We tightened the noose on ISIS with our war day after day, and that is why a section of them surrendered.” A large part of it, and many people were removed from the area on this basis, which created great confidence and faith among the people.”

“With the leadership of women, ISIS was defeated.” Commander Zanarin revealed that they chose the Naim roundabout specifically to declare their victory, saying: “On this basis, we can say that we defeated the ISIS mercenaries, and we declared our defeat of the enemy in the Naim roundabout on October 17, 2017. We declared the victory that the fighters of the People’s Protection Units, the Women’s Protection Units, and the Shengal Women’s Units deserved on October 17 there. We raised our flag perfumed with the blood of the martyrs, and we sent a message to the whole world saying that we took revenge for the women of Mosul, Shengal, and Raqqa and all the women who were sold in the same place where they were sold, the place where people were killed, the place where they issued their announcements, terrorized people, and executed them. We took revenge on them in the name of all women. We raised our flag in the place where humanity was assassinated, and we gathered all the components under the leadership of women, and we achieved victory in the region and defeated ISIS.”

 “The fear created by ISIS shows the whole world today that no force can fight against the Syrian Democratic Forces, the People’s Protection Units, and the Women’s Protection Units as long as they are led by women, no matter what happens. Any force led by women will certainly achieve victory and freedom under their leadership. From this standpoint, we dedicate this victory, which was achieved with the blood of the martyrs, to our comrades in the Shengal Women’s Units, who played a historic role in that campaign. We dedicate it to our comrades, the martyrs whose blood watered this land, and to all our struggling forces, especially the female fighters who made great efforts, waged a strong struggle, and fought bravely against ISIS. We congratulate them all and tell them that victory will always be ours,” concluded Zanarin.

T/ Satt.

ANHA