HPG guerilla Azad Qêrani stated that he was a peshmerga when ISIS gangs attacked Shengal, and they fought against ISIS initially but were forced to retreat when they began to run low on ammunitions and ISIS began to use heavy weaponry. Qêrani stated that him and his friends remained in the village of Siba when KDP peshmergas ran away as ISIS attacks intensified, and many civilians were massacred in Siba and kidnapped, arrested and massacred in the villages of Koço, Tılbınat and Geli Mirkan.

‘MANY PESHMERGAS CHANGED THEIR CLOTHES AND RAN AWAY’

Qêrani stated that many peshmergas changed their clothes and ran away, but Êzidîs stayed put and continued to resist. Qêrani said that a unit of peshmerga reinforcements arrived and told civilians that everything was okay, but soon after ISIS gang groups took over and massacred civilians.

‘8 GUERILLAS ARRIVED AT SHENGAL AND BEGAN TO FIGHT AFTER THE PESHMERGAS FLED’

Qêrani stated that 8 guerillas arrived at Shengal and began to fight ISIS gangs after the peshmergas fled, and continued fighting until civilians reached Mount Shengal. The former peshmerga noted that ISIS gangs brought reinforcements from Girzerik village due to the resistance of the guerillas, and nearly 30 young Êzidîs fell during the clashes with ISIS. Qêrani said “Young Êzidîs from Sibe sacrificed their lives in order to protect the people from the gangs, and fell as martyrs when ISIS finally took over their positions.

‘QASİM ŞEŞO’S FORCES ATTACKED US WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO ESCORT CIVILIANS TO MOUNT SHENGAL’

Qêrani stated that the forces of Qasim Şeşo attacked them as they were trying to evacuate 60 women and children to Mount Shengal, and 2 fighters named Qasim and Heci were martyred here. Qêrani stated that the forces of Qasim Şeşo’s and Qasım Dırbo attacked them at the same time as ISIS gangs, and 15 civilians were killed during these attacks.

‘PKK DEFENDED ÊZİDÎ SOCIETY’

Qêrani stated that the whole world witnessed that the PKK defended Êzidî society from ISIS gangs, and the first guerilla unit of 8 guerillas fought in the Çil Meran region, where 20 thousand peshmergas failed to fire a single bullet at ISIS gangs. Qêrani recalled that the peshmergas asked them to withdraw since there was no need for them, but withdrew as soon as several Peshmergas got injured.

‘I HAVE BEEN WITH THE GUERILLAS EVER SINCE’

Qêrani stated that a few friends and he witnessed the PKK guerillas attempts to save the civilians and approached the guerillas, who said to Qêrani ‘What are these clothes that you’re wearing? Are you peshmerga?’ In response, Qêrani said yes and asked if they could join the guerillas. The PKK guerillas told Qêrani that anyone who wants to fight for people could join them, and Qêrani has been with the guerillas ever since. Despite not fully understanding their language, Qêrani became comrades and fought side by side with the guerillas.

‘THOUSANDS OF PESHERMGAS COULD NOT FIGHT AS MUCH AS 8 GUERILLAS’

Qêrani said “We saw another guerilla unit when we reached the peak of Mount Shengal. We did not know much about them, but we saw that they were different. They fought with a spirit of sacrifice and tried to save Êzidî people from ISIS gangs. Thousands of peshmergas could not fight as much as 8 guerillas. The peshmergas on Mount Shengal fought among themselves and particularly Qasim Şeşo’s forces caused trouble. The guerillas put up a great resistance in Digure and worked until the opening of an evacuation corridor.” Qêrani added that after the opening of the corridor, YPG forces carried civilians to Rojava with nearly 500 vehicles over the course of 4 days.

‘PEOPLE OF ROJAVA SENT FOOD AND WATER DURING THE MOST DIFFICULT PERIOD’

Qêrani emphasized that the people of Rojava sent food and water to Êzidî people with thousands of vehicles during the must difficult period, and he went to Rojava for the construction of camps for the Êzidî people that had left Shengal. After his return to Shengal, Qêrani witnessed that KDP forces allowed ISIS gangs to pass through their checkpoints but made it difficult for Êzidî people to pass through, and oppressed people even more than ISIS did in many areas.