YBŞ/YJŞ (Shengal Resistance Units/Shengal Women's Units) Command issued a written statement on the Turkish state's attacks on Rojava and Shengal.

The statement said the following:

"At around 02:00 on April 25, 2017 Turkish warplanes conducted an aerial attack on Shengal. The bombardment continued till 04:00 am. Six YBŞ positions and civilian areas were struck in the attack. In the bombardment on civilian areas, Êzidî people's supply store and Dengê Çıra radio station were hit, as result of which one civilian died and two YBŞ fighters were slightly injured.

With the aerial attack, the Turkish state seeks to prepare the ground for its plan to take and rule Mosul-Kirkuk-Shengal and Tal Afar. Targeting the people and fighters of Shengal, Turkey aims to have Shengal evacuated through these attacks and realize its fascist and colonialist plans in Southern Kurdistan afterwards. We see this aggression as an attack targeting not only Shengal's people and YBŞ/YJŞ but also Southern Kurdistan and all the Kurdish people. Turkish colonialism targets anything pertaining to Kurds and Kurdistan. Turkey seeks to avenge the dark plans that were developed with a dirty alliance with ISIS and were foiled by the epic resistance of Shengal people, and it targets the existence, gains and free future of Êzidîs."

Refuting the Turkish media reports that 'PKK camps in Shengal were hit', YBŞ/YJŞ Command said the attack targeted the Êzidî people, YBŞ/YJŞ fighters and press in Shengal. The statement pointed to Turkey's war developed through media that intends to put policies of displacement into practice as another way of genocide by subjecting the Êzidî people to fear and panic.

Stressing that Shengal people preserve their honorable stance of resistance and are organized enough to frustrate these dirty plans and the goal of unfounded reports, YBŞ/YJŞ Command called on the Êzidîs and all the people of Kurdistan to take an all-out resistance position against colonialist plans in order to upset the plans for the invasion of Southern Kurdistan. YBŞ/YJŞ said that enhancing the Kurdish national unity and resistance is the only way to defeat the colonialist barbarism and attempts of invasion.

Stating that KDP positions were also targeted in this attack, resulting in casualties among peshmergas, YBŞ/YJŞ Command said the strike of peshmerga positions was a deliberate act, adding: "For the Turkish state, the primary target has always been the existence and free life of the Kurds. The Turkish state that knows no limits in its enmity towards the Kurds wants to succeed in its colonialist plans by creating a deadlock on basis of deepening the already existing conflicts among Kurdish forces. For this reason, all the Kurdistani forces should be careful against such colonialist attempts and efforts to create a separation among the Kurdish people and move them away from national unity.

All these attacks are a continuation of the genocide the Turkish state and ISIS alliance perpetrated in Shengal on 3 August, 2014. Coming into play at a time when ISIS is nearing the end, the Turkish state has practically taken sides with the ISIS. Just like we did not allow the continuation of the genocide through YBŞ/YJŞ organization, our forces have frustrated this attack by avoiding suffering losses through military tactics. Not confining ourselves to frustrate this attack, we well retaliate against all attacks and use our right to legitimate defense.

Our Êzidî people have faced yet another attempt of genocide after the 73rd one they have been through. However, we, YBŞ/YJŞ will respond to all attacks and plans as the defense force of our people. It should be known that our people are organized in self-defense and capable of responding to all attacks strongly. We state that no attack on our people will reach its goal, and we call on all our people to take sides with the resistance we developed under the lead of YBŞ/YJŞ, and to continue the struggle until the freedom of Shengal and Êzidî people is attained."