Fighters of the YPG/YPJ (People's/Women's Defense Units) told ANF about the most recent savage massacre committed by militants of the so-called Islamic State against the civilians in Kobanê town of West Kurdistan, Rojava.

Nubihar Yılmaz Qamişlo, Ronas Cemal and Baz Kobanê, who took part in the operation to cleanse the town of gang members for three days, summarized their stance with the following words; “The determination shared by everyone in the town was to not to sleep or eat until no single gang member was left in the town. We had one single purpose; to make Kobanê a graveyard for the gangs.”

Nubihar Yılmaz Qamişlo: The massacre of civilians was a traumatic incident and a great pain. All we wanted was to bring the gangs to account and to avenge our people. The gangs knew what sacrifice was made by YPG/YPJ to protect the people, and how much importance they attached to them. They didn't target the military force, their aim was to massacre civilians. Within a very short time of 10-15 minutes, we started an operation throughout the town. The massacred civilians we saw out on the streets grew our anger more and more.

WE ACTED CAUTIOUSLY FOR THE CIVILIANS

It is quite difficult to express those moments, words will fail to describe it. Hundreds of comrades of ours fell a martyr protecting the people. At that moment, we were ready and determined to do the same thing. We had one single purpose; to make Kobanê a graveyard for the gangs, once again. This is indeed what we did. We have once again made Kobanê a graveyard for ISIS.

I participated the operation in Mishtenur Hospital. We acted cautiously for the safety of the civilians. What hurt us the most was that gangs especially targeted and held civilian locations; hospitals and schools. We were deeply hurt by the use of our people as human shields, which forced us to keep our anger and run the operation in a controlled manner. We would easily be able to destroy all the gangs but our purpose was to rescue the civilians. This is why the operation lasted three days, while it could have taken only one day. On the second day of the operation, we rescued the civilians in Mishtenur School, after which we initiated an annihilation offensive against the gangs.

During the operation, I witnessed a self-sacrificing resistance of our comrades none of whom ate or slept over the course of the offensive until no single member of the gangs was left. All the comrades were fairly competed to join the operation. None of them left their emplacement when there was a need for a change of the forces. YPG/YPJ fighters resisted with dedication for three days.

I got wounded in the third day of the operation which had already succeeded when my comrades took me out of there.

WE WILL NOT ANOTHER ATTACK BY THE GANGS

Baz Kobanê: When we advanced to the town center in the morning of the ISIS attack, local inhabitants told us that gang members dressed in FSA uniforms had massacred civilians. Then we moved to the area of the Baath School before taking an armored vehicle to move further. In the meantime, we saw dozens of people massacred b the gangs. The feeling was a deep one, as was the pain and anger I felt inside. As we walked, I saw the dead body of a childhood friend lying on the ground, his throat had been slit. We saw once again how cruel and inhumane the gangs were.

The clashes that followed the attack witnessed a sample of great self-sacrifice and dedication. We were never demoralized but it deeply hurt us to see our friends having suffered a savage massacre. The people of Kobanê should know that we will never allow such an attack to target them once again. We will take all the necessary measures.

GANGS WERE DRESSED IN YPG UNIFORMS

Ronas Cemal: I was awake when the attack first began. I went out at once on hearing gunshots, and acted with caution. The gangs were dressed in YPG uniforms. We immediately started intervening them and then went to the hospital area to ensure the safety of the civilians brought there. We saw civilians killed or wounded. At that moment, I wanted to head for the operation area at once but I had to stay there because we needed to defend that area too considering a probable infiltration of the gangs into there. There was a small baby girl whose parents had been massacred in the attack. She was crying, which affected me deeply. From now on, we will continue doing whatever is necessary for the safety of our people.