Afrin IDPs who settled in Shehba after the occupation of their land had to migrate again as a result of the latest attacks by the Turkish state and mercenaries: “We remained on the road for 2 days. Many families set out without shoes to escape death."
On 29 November, Turkish-backed mercenaries launched an attack on Afrin-Shehba. On 2 December, the people were forced to leave Shehba and migrate to the safer Autonomous Administration regions. Citizens who settled in Kobanê spoke to ANF about the day of the attacks.
Mihemed Hebeş Hebeş, who is from Bedîna village in Afrin's Rajo district and lives in Til Rifat, told the story of leaving his home as follows: “We were living in our own land and village in Afrin, but the occupying Turkish state attacked our city from all sides. Our fighters put up an unprecedented resistance in Afrin. Our village was targeted by air strikes and destroyed. We fled to Shehba and lived there for 7 years, but the attacks of the Turkish state continued every day. No one took care of us except our people and our administration. We had a lot of difficulty for two days until we reached Tabqa and our people. The mercenaries insulted us. We were welcomed very well by the Autonomous Administration, but it was very painful for us to leave our cities behind. Now we are in Kobanê and the people here welcomed us very well. This is the Kobanê of martyr Arîn and this is our city.”
Rojda Ebda, a sixth-grade student in Shehba, stated that they had to migrate again because of the Turkish state and said, “We migrated from Afrin, and for the second time we migrated from Shehba because of the Turkish occupation. The Turkish state and its mercenaries seized and plundered our houses in front of our eyes. They pointed guns at us and attacked us. They rained bombs on us, but our defence forces were always with us. We slept in the car for two days until we reached Tabqa. We were very cold in the car, but when we reached here, we were relieved to some extent.”
Xezne Îsmaîl, a mother from Efrîn-Shehba, described the story of migration as follows: “Women and children walked barefoot to save their lives. Pregnant women walked without food and water. They want to destroy us, but we defended ourselves. We were about to die in the cold and hunger for two days, but we still resisted and reached our own areas. We came by trucks and buses. Some came on foot. Whatever happens, we will liberate Afrin; it is not far, it is close.”
