The operation to liberate Raqqa continues at full force since June 6.

While Northern Syria Democratic Federation Executive Council Co-chair Foza Yusîf implied that the next liberation operation after Raqqa could be on ISIS-held Deir ez-Zor province, Ahmed Abu Khawla, head of the Deir al-Zor Military Council told Reuters that the assault on Deir ez-Zor might begin within several weeks in parallel with the battle for Raqqa city.

People and women from Deir ez-Zor are waiting for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to liberate their city. One of these women is Foza Ehmed who managed to flee ISIS three years ago, and sought refuge in the village of Til Necma in Til Temir.

“WE SAW DEATH FOR OURSELVES”

Foza Ehmed started her words talking about the days when ISIS invaded their city, telling the following: “The gangs would brutally kill the people in front of us and our children. We could hardly meet our daily needs as everything was quite expensive, or we couldn’t even find and afford them at all. We would face constant repression of the gangs and we were tied hand and foot as we would be tortured when we happened to speak. We saw death for ourselves. The gangs forbade us everything, even smoking and watching TV. If someone happened to smoke, the punishment would be to lose your hand.”

“WE COULD HARDLY SAVE OURSELVES”

Ehmed said it was women that were subject to heaviest practices, and continued: “Women in particular were suffering violence and torture. Women were barred from wearing colourful clothes or opening their faces. A woman in burqa burned in front of us in Deir ez-Zor while baking bread in a ground tandoor, and we couldn’t go and help her. My daughter is still in Deir ez-Zor, she couldn’t get out of there and we hardly managed to save ourselves. It is three years that we have received no news from my daughter.”

Foza Ehmed added that they hoped the SDF would liberate Deir ez-Zor like they are clearing Raqqa of ISIS at the moment.

“ONLY SDF CAN RESCUE US”

Helima İsa, whose family of is also in Deir ez-Zor, told the following; “My family is from Deir ez-Zor. I got married and am living now in Şemoka village of Hesekê Canton. I am enduring the pain of being away from my family and not seeing them for 4 years now. My family once attempted to get out of there but were not allowed by the gangs. Three years ago, I heard that my mother had died, which left me in deep sorrow. I couldn’t attain my desire to see her once. Only SDF can rescue us from the gangs. We want the SDF to liberate Deir ez-Zor like Raqqa. SDF is our only hope.”