Axîn Nûcan, one of the commanders of the Women’s Defense Units (YPJ) and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), talked to ANF on the importance of and the advances made in the Operation Cizire Storm to liberate Deir ez-Zor territory.

Axîn Nûcan said: "We want the gangs that have been crushed in Raqqa to be finished off in the triangle of Deir ez-Zor in the Operation Cizire Storm. Following Raqqa, the Deir ez-Zor triangle and the Iraqi border are the only areas left under ISIS occupation. The downfall of the ISIS gangs in Deir ez-Zor will be a huge and historic step for the Syrian Revolution and Iraq."

YPJ/SDF Commander stated that the most important thing in this offensive was the emancipation of the civilian population, and continued saying: "Like all the other people and even to a greater extent, also the inhabitants of Deir ez-Zor have fallen victim to the brutality and atrocities of the ISIS gangs. At first the civilians suffered from repressions by the Syrian regime and a variety of gangs, and by ISIS for 3 years now."

Nûcan described the reason for the initiation of this operation as follows: "This operation has been launched at the request of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council and in particular for the sake and at the request of the children of Deir ez-Zor."

Nûcan pointed out that huge achievements have been made in these 15 days since the operation's start and explained that: "During these 15 days we have managed to liberate more than 100 km land from ISIS gangs and are advancing towards the Iraqi border. In that area there were some strategic locations and positions. We already liberated strategic key positions like the industrial zone, the sugar, cotton and olive factories as well as the energy station. Our latest achievement was the liberation of the huge gas stations Ezbe and Kolika yesterday."

She continued as follows: "These achievements have been realised through mounting great heroic fight and paying a huge price and mean therefore a lot to us. Because our goals are huge, we are also paying a huge price. This price and heroism are taking form under the leadership of the SDF and especially the Deir ez-Zor Military Council. We are not only fighting against the ISIS gangs, but also against the time and territorial conditions."

Nûcan remarked that they are delivering blows to the ISIS gangs in Deir ez-Zor, but there are also forces that want to impede them and said: "First and foremost the Syrian regime does not want our forces to advance. What causes us much confusion is that even though we as the children of the Syrian Revolution want to finish off the ISIS gangs, the Syrian regime wants to drive us back. For this reason fighter jets of the regime stroke our forces some days ago. But no obstacle is big enough to hinder our forces and fighters from achieving our goals and plans and liberating all of our people. Because we possess a will and a stance, we trust in our victory. The achievements we attained today can be weighted with the will and stance of the fighters of the SDF and the Deir ez-Zor Military Council."

YPJ/SDF Commander pointed out that the biggest achievement for them was the liberation of the people and made the following appeal to the inhabitants of Deir ez-Zor: "We have rescued thousands of children, women, youth and elderly and have taken them to safe areas. Our people in Deir ez-Zor should know well that we will not let them fall into a suchlike terrible and oppressive situation ever again. Our appeal to the people of Deir ez-Zor is to support and back their children, to trust in their children, their kids will witness free and beautiful days."

Nûcan also commented on the participation and position of women in the Operation Cizire Storm as follows: "The launch of our operation had also a great number of women from Deir ez-Zor join our ranks. This makes us convinced that they in fact see in us their own rescue and will. And this consequently makes us, our confidence and our goals grow. We call on the women to come and get to know us, as the liberation and freedom of all women is inherent in the YPJ and SDF. In the person of ISIS, we give today an unprecedented struggle against all mentalities that deem women worthless, deprive women of all rights and render them voiceless. Therefore we shall destroy that rotten mentality through ISIS, take our revenge into our own hands and chose the path of freedom."

YPJ/SDF Commander ended with the following message to the SDF fighters: "Fighters of the SDF and Deir ez-Zor Military Council, your trust and convincement in victory allows no obstacle to impede you. Also we are confident in this victory of yours until the very end. All the victories that have been achieved by that high price the SDF fighters paid, that heroism and trust of them, we dedicate them all to the local people. We dedicate them all in particular to the people of Deir ez-Zor."