A Turkish drone carried out a strike targeting a car near the Serdesht Camp in the Yazidi town of Shengal (Sinjar) on Sunday. The attack claimed the lives of three commanders of the Shengal Resistance Units (YBŞ); Dîndar Avesta, Pîran Pîr and Çiya Feqîr.

Bodies of the fallen YBŞ fighters were first taken to the Shengal Hospital and, after the procedures here, transferred to the Şehit Dilşêr and Şehit Berxwedan Cemetery of Martyrs in Serdesht region, where they were laid to rest today.

The funeral ceremony was attended by commanders and fighters of the YBŞ and YJŞ (Shengal Women’s Units), members of the Yazidi Women’s Freedom Movement (TAJÊ), civil society organizations in Shengal and leaders of the Arab tribes in the region. Speeches were made here on behalf of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of Shengal, YBŞ Command and the Arab community.

Xemgîn Şengalî from YBŞ Command said: “The invading Turkish state is attacking our forces with assistance from the betrayers. Comrade Dîndar put up great labour for his people without a single moment of hesitation since the first day he joined the ranks of the YBŞ. He played a major role in the process of rescuing and avenging the abducted Yazidi women and youth. He was committed to his land. Comrade Çiya was a leading figure among his people and followed in the footsteps of the martyrs until he fell a martyr himself. Comrade Pîran was a follower of Martyr Pîr Çeko and remained loyal to the promise he had made to him. As the children of the Yazidi people, we will fight to the very end in the footsteps of our fallen comrades. We will never forget their sacrifices.”

Hemed Bişar spoke in the name of the families of martyrs and said: “Their martyrdom will not make us take steps backward or bend the knee. We have been subjected to massacres for thousands of years but we never gave in. As a community, we do not have a very high population, but the Yazidi people, with the Yazidi philosophy, are a resilient and powerful community.”

Condemning the silence of the Iraqi state in the face of Turkish attacks, Hemed Bişar held the Iraqi government for the deadly attacks that claim the lives of more people before the eyes of the Iraqi state forces every day.

Shengal Autonomous Administration Executive Board member Dexîl İbrahim stated: “Let our enemy know this well; we will never bow to them just because some of us have been martyred. We will never bend the knee, even if thousands of us fall. The betrayers should know that they will eventually lose.”

TAJE member Dayê Şemê said: “The enemy is targeting our forces close in striking distance of the Iraqi checkpoints and forces. Those who cooperate with the enemy and lead to the martyrdom of our young fighters should know that we will revenge our martyrs and never yield up even if we die every day. We will definitely succeed.”

Many people from the Arab community also attended the funeral where Xideyir Saleh spoke in the name of the Arab Assembly in Shengal and paid tribute to all those who sacrificed their lives to protect the Yazidi land and people.

Defining the Turkish attacks as a continuation of the massacres and genocides of the Yazidis, Xideyir Saleh said: “As the Arab community, we stand with our Yazidi brothers and sisters. We call for the Iraqi state to raise its voice against the invading Turkish state’s attacks which violate Iraq’s sovereignty.  We condemn the attacks against the Yazidi people.”