We met Heval Zana from the SDF, who is a battalion commander. Zana is from the Bilikê village. Bilikê is to the south of Kobanê, and it is dubbed “The Martyrs Village” by the people. Even though it is a small village of a handful of households, there are 40 martyrs from there. We got in the car with Zana, which gave us a good opportunity for him to answer our questions and for us to get information from him on the operation to liberate Raqqa. We didn’t want to get in his way. Zana said: “We are always thinking about our martyred friends. They wanted these lands and these people liberated, and we are following their path.”

We were visiting the newly liberated villages. There were still people who were forced to migrate around the roads. At one point, several families were sitting by the road and the SDF fighters had stopped for them, giving them water. The villagers were at Selhebiyê village, just liberated from gangs. After the villages are cleared of ISIS gangs, the landmines are dealt with and safety of civilians is ensured, fighters allow the villagers to return home. An old man asked Zana when they could return. Zana said it would be at least two days, because the mortar shells and artillery fire from the gangs still were close enough to reach the village. Civilians were excited, watching the fighters. Fear from the gangs still marked their faces. Women put their face veils up or down occasionally, they were still a little confused. A woman said, “Now we can remove this covering from our head”, and another said, “There comes the Democratic Army, praise Allah, praise Allah!”

The vehicle set out once more. Heval Zana continued to speak: “Our strength is the strength of humanity. We are not a force that came here to rule. Wherever there are imprisoned people, we are ready to liberate them. That is our core duty.”

Zana spoke of the fighters as “friends” and said: “When our friends come across children, the elderly or women, they stop to share their water and food with them. Because we are fighting for this people. And if we are not one with them, then this liberation means nothing.”

Later we headed towards Kedêra village and the Azadiyê dam. Fighters surrounded it one evening during the week and formed their own security point. From far away, this force could be seen as just a force for war, but that is far from the truth. Nobody likes the war, nobody loves it. The fighters said they had to fight to defend the people. Meanwhile, other fighters chatted and joked and laughed, sharing funny stories.

Before we ended our trip, Heval Zana said this on when they expect to arrive in Raqqa: “Ultimately we will enter Raqqa and clear it of gangs. Because we said we would liberate the city, and we will.”