At the front line of Raqqa up to 7000 fighters of the YPG (People's Defense Units) and YPJ (Women's Defense Units) are engaged in the Great Battle under the banner of the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces). Every single one of them is seeking to fight at the very front. To get the chance to shoot a bullet at the ISIS gangs, they are calling on their commanders.

Some of them are standing as part of the offensive unit in the emplacements far ahead, and some of those who are positioned in the emplacements a bit behind are waiting to join the offensive unit to fight against the ISIS gangs.

Raqqa has turned to a war zone. In urban warfare battles are not only fought in trenches, but tons of different jobs and preparations have to be arranged meticulously as a matter of fact. The logistic, first aid, evacuation, communication, coordination, organisation of attacks, preparations of explosives and many other necessities.

EVEN HER LAUGHTER FILLS YOU WITH ENERGY

As for comrade Şînda, she implements any job without rest. Even if her eyes might glance at times tiredly, her laughter never fails to fill her surrounding with mirth.

Within the unit she is given high appreciation... She does not allow anyone to even wash a cup. And during the nights she fights alongside the offensive unit at the front lines. She is indeed the most silent and calm fighter of all, and at the same time engages more actively than anyone else in all activities at hand...

On the one side she prepares the daily food for her unit and on the other side puts together the explosive fuses. With her small hands she arranges the bullets into the cassettes of the BKC machine guns.

She came here 32 days ago. I went to the YPJ units and shot some photos of the female fighters. They had prepared themselves shortly before and their weapons were gleaming. Flags of the YPJ were hoisted at the unit's front door.

AT DAYTIME SHE WORKS ROUND THE CLOCK

I took photos of all the fighters. On that day I saw also comrade Şînda. She was on the hop 24 hours a day, what drew my attention on her. Though we did not understand each other linguistically, she showed me around the emplacements and told me about the positions in the back. I tried to answer using my arms and hands. When they say that not the language but the gesticulation is decisive, they were in fact right. For 32 days I and comrade Şînda were conversing in gestures like a charm.

I AM WAITING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY

The last time we met each other again in the headquarters of the YPJ. On that day I was to visit a unit comprising of Arabic, Kurdish, Canadian, Êzidî and Turkish fighters. The front lines of Raqqa are crowded  with many different languages spoken and numerous different ethnicities. And that day also comrade Şînda was present. After preparing food for us she came and sat with us. All those last three weeks I tried to conduct an interview with comrade Şînda and she did not even have 10 minutes to spare. Because the work she was busy with had been overwhelming, I myself gave her sometimes a helping hand. Luckily we found an interpreter who helped me to conduct my interview with her.

INTERVIEW AMIDST THE SOUND OF WAR

We commenced our interview amidst the noise of the battle going on. She joined the struggle in 2013, influenced by her martyred uncle. Even though she had never even seen him, she sought to tread the path he walked on.

She took part in the Martyr Rûbar Operation and the Operation Wrath of Euphrates. She told me to have received her fighting experience in the operation to liberate Raqqa. Because urban warfare requires a greater sense of guardedness against possible sniper attacks.

"THE STRUGGLE MAKES ME HAPPY"

Apart from the defense and coordination, Şînda also partook in sabotage attacks, assassination attacks and the logistic field.

Comrade Şînda said: "It is vital that also women are part of the Anti-Terror Unit, that women take part in every tactic planning and actions. I am very proud of this labour procreating process, this process provides me with huge happiness."

“VICTORY FOR OUR MARTYRS”

Şînda remarked that her martyred comrades long very much for Raqqa’s liberation, adding: “Our comrades who were possessed with this desire the most fell martyrs on the frontlines. It is our greatest aspiration that all the women partaking in this campaign end up in victory. We will make this come true for our martyrs. We will present this victory to future generations.”

"I COULDN’T TAKE MY COMRADE TO THE EMPLACEMENT"

When I asked her to tell about one of her unforgettable memories in Rojava revolution, Heval Şînda began to sob. On seeing that also my eyes were filled with tears, she wiped her eyes dry and told: "I and one of my comrades were using a DShK weapon. We were preparing ourselves against a probable attack. One day before the battle, my comrade fell martyr. This hit me very hard. Everyone went to their emplacements, but I could not take my comrade to ours."

"AFTER THE LIBERATION I WILL WORK FOR THE WOMEN"

On my question: "What do you want to do after Raqqa's liberation?", she replied: "First of all I want to see the liberation of Raqqa with my eyes. Aside from the tasks I will be given by my organisation, I would like to stay in Raqqa and work for the women. The people here love and respect us. In this city Arabs and Kurds are living together, and the most important thing is that peoples are living in fraternity. The mentality of ISIS has to be wiped out from these lands once and for all"."

* This article by Erem Kansoy first appeared on Yeni Özgür Politika newspaper and was translated by ANF English service.