This morning, Wednesday, a farewell ceremony was held for the nine martyrs of the Anti-Terrorism Units (YAT) who lost their lives on March 15 after the crash of two helicopters in the Kurdistan region. The ceremony took place at the Martyr Sardam stadium in the Ghwayran neighborhood of the al-Hasaka, with the attendance of the Commander-in-Chief of our forces, “Mazloum Abdi,” and members of the General Command, the Commander-in-Chief of the Anti-Terrorism Forces in the Kurdistan Region, Wahab Halabji, the co-presidency of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, the co-chairperson of the Syrian Democratic Council, Arab and Kurdish tribal elders, representatives of political, youth, and women’s parties and organizations, as well as representatives of civil and military institutions. The ceremony was attended by a large crowd from North and East Syria.
The farewell ceremony for the nine martyrs began with a minute of silence to honor their souls, followed by a solemn military parade by our forces. The ceremony proceeded with reading of the martyrdom documents, which were handed over to their families.
Next, Mazloum Abdi, the Commander-in-Chief of our forces, gave a speech. He started by extending condolences to the families of all martyrs and then stated, “As comrades of the martyrs, we are proud of their sacrifice, and all our people should be proud of their greatness.”
Abdi continued, “The banner raised by martyr Shervan and his comrades will remain high until we achieve victory. I call upon all young men and women to join the ranks of the Syrian Democratic Forces.”
He also expressed gratitude towards those who offered support during the tragic incident, especially the brothers in Bashur (South of Kurdistan) who assisted in bringing the martyrs’ bodies to northern and eastern Syria.
The Commander-in-Chief emphasized, “Today, we bid farewell to the bodies of the commander of the Anti-Terrorism Units, Cherfan Kobani, and his eight comrades. We say goodbye to the bodies of nine fighters who played a significant role in the revolution of Rojava, and who were vanguard leaders that fought on multiple fronts. We consider the martyrs as the foundation of our struggle, and we will continue their march until their desired goals are achieved.”
He highlighted that the Anti-Terrorism Units / YAT played a crucial role in eliminating ISIS mercenaries and chasing their sleeper cells. He added, “On behalf of the SDF General Command, we pledge to our people to escalate the struggle in northern and eastern Syria to a higher level, defending our people and every inch of our territory. We will work with all our forces to enhance the institutions of northern and eastern Syria.”
Next, Abid Hamid Al-Mahbash, the co-chairman of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, delivered a speech. He emphasized that all the achievements were a result of the martyrs’ sacrifices in the battles of liberation and the fight against terrorism.”
Following that, Amina Omar, the co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council, delivered a speech. She condemned the massacre committed on the night of Nowruz by the Turkish occupation’s mercenaries against four residents in the occupied town of Jindires, Afrin countryside. She pointed out that despite the continuous violations against the people there and the repercussions of the earthquake, the people of Afrin still had a glimmer of hope and lit the flame of freedom.
In her concluding remarks, Amina Omar called upon all Syrian parties to unify their stance against the merchants of blood.
Next, Salma Khalil, the co-chair of the Council of Martyrs’ Families in the al-Jazeera region, paid tribute to the greatness of the martyrs. She emphasized that their struggle will continue in the spirit of resistance and fight until the objectives of the July 19 revolution are achieved.
Mullah Abdul Rahman Badrakhan, a member of the Democratic Islam Conference, delivered a speech on behalf of the conference emphasizing that the peoples of the region are striving for freedom, justice, and peaceful coexistence of all beliefs. He denounced the Jindires massacre, stating that those who try to extinguish the flame of the blacksmith Kawa and Kurdish Nowruz will not be able to extinguish the fire of the revolution and the struggle for freedom. After the speeches were concluded, the martyrs were given a military farewell, and their bodies were taken to their respective areas for burial. The bodies of Farashin Baran, Dedar Dirk, Hoger Dirk, Cochar Dirk, Harun Rojava, and Dogan Afrin will be buried in the cemetery of the martyr Khabat in the city of Dirk. Shervan Kobani’s body will be buried in the cemetery of the martyr Dijlah in Kobani city, Rojink Rifaat’s body will be laid to rest in the cemetery of martyrs in Al-Shahba areas, while Khabat Darbasiya’s body will be buried in the cemetery of the martyr Rustam Judi in the al-Darbasiya district.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HowpRGNgYsA
