HPG and YJA Star guerrillas fighting ISIS gangs in South Kurdistan for almost a year now are being welcomed with great interest and love by the local people.

Guerrillas are greeted with love in the villages and towns liberated by joint forces of resistance (PKK, peshmerga, local forces) from ISIS gangs that took control over a large area in South Kurdistan since last year.

People in mainly Kirkuk and Dakuk describe the guerrillas who protected the people at the cost of their lives as "our human shields, source of hope and courage"

Kurds, Turkmens and Arabs live together in Kirkuk and Dakuk areas where the struggle of the guerrillas is highly appreciated by the local people.

Dayka Soran, a local inhabitant who openly expresses her love and admiration for the guerrillas, said the followings when asked if they were afraid of ISIS gangs;

"The gangs are not far away from here. It is almost one kilometer between us and them. The hill next to us there is held by the gangs but we are not afraid of them because we have PKK guerrillas near us and we have absolute trust in them. The gangs carried out numerous attacks in an attempt to enter and take our village. They were going to take here too, like Sinjar, but guerrillas came to our help and fought against them. Of course, we are not afraid of the gangs. And we love the guerrillas very much, the female ones in particular who give us great moral and courage."