After taking control of the Şêxler town yesterday, YPG/YPJ (People's/Women's Defense Units) have gone beyond their prior emplacements on the western front of the Kobanê Canton of West Kurdistan, Rojava. ISIS gangs blew up the Sexler-Jarablus bridge over the Euphrates while fleeing the battle field in the wake of clashes with Defense Units.

The operations to liberate the rural areas and villages of Kobanê are continuing in the phase of victory. YPG/YPJ fighters who have recently gone beyond their prior positions in the south of the Kobanê town have also exceeded the emplacements they had held in the west before 15 September attacks and completely liberated the eastern part of the Euphrates area.

After taking control of the Zaret and Zormixar villages on the banks of Euphrates, which is 45 km to the Kobanê town centre, YPG/YPJ liberated most recently the town of Şêxler where the ISIS gangs in the region had been pushed.

With the liberation of the Şêxler town, which has a 12,000 population and has been held respectively by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Al-Nusra since the beginning of the Rojava Revolution and by ISIS gangs for the last one year, the Kobanê side of the Euphrates has entirely been cleansed of radical Islamist groups. The river has thus become the only border left between YPG/YPJ forces and the city of Jarablus which became a headquarters for ISIS gangs.

'Fleeing gangs blew up the bridge'

YPG fighter Rustem Halep who took part in the operation to liberate the town of Şêxler yesterday morning told ANF that they have reached their target and liberated all the lands extending to the Euphrates river. Rustem Halep stated that the Şexler town had been the only place housing ISIS gangs on Kobanê side of the river. "Following the operation we launched early yesterday morning, ISIS gangs fled to Jarablus by diving into the Euphrates river. They also blew up the bridge connecting the Jarablus city and Kobanê Canton in order to prevent us from passing the river", he told.

'We will expand the fraternity of peoples in Şêxler'

Another YPG fighter Rêdur Bargiran who also took part in the operation told that: "The Şêxler town we have liberated was long under the control of organisations that subject the people to all kinds of cruelty and do not serve humanity. The liberation of the town from the ISIS, which leads the organisations hostile to humanity, has boosted our morale."

Reminding that the town is mainly populated by Arabs, Bargiran added; "We believe that there is no difference between the peoples and that they should share a life in fraternity. Besides defense, we will also fight to expand the fraternity of peoples in the Şêxler town we liberated."