YJŞ fighters rescue an Êzidî boy from ISIS in Raqqa

Shengal Women’s Units (YJŞ) have rescued an Êzidî boy from the clutches of ISIS in Raqqa where a fierce battle to clear the city is ongoing in its 72nd day. The 14 years old boy, Selah Hesen Reşo, is from Khanasor town of Shengal.

In the course of the 73rd genocide against the Êzidîs in Shengal, 11 years old Saleh Hesen Reşo was taken hostage together with his entire family and forced to convert to Islam under torture in Mosul. After undergoing military and religious training, the gangs took him to Raqqa and had him fight against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). In an operation by YJŞ fighters, 10 ISIS members were killed and the boy was rescued from their clutches.

The Great Battle led by the SDF is continuing in its 70th day. The SDF liberated until now 14 neighbourhoods from the ISIS gangs and seized control of 50% of Raqqa's city centre. They managed to free thousands of civilians from the fangs of the ISIS gangs so far.

The Shengal Women's Units (YJŞ) have also joined the Great Battle a while ago, vowing to take revenge on ISIS and rescue the civilians held hostages by them.

One of those Êzidîs who were freed by the YJŞ in Raqqa is Saleh Hesen Reşo. He was only 11 years old when ISIS gangs swept over Shengal to perpetrate the 73rd genocide against the Êzidî community.

According to DİHABER, Reşo was kidnapped with his entire seven-person family, who are originally from the Khanasor town, during the genocidal aggression on Shengal and taken to Mosul afterwards. Reşo and his twin brother Sebah were torn apart from the rest of the family and then forced to convert to Islam under torture.  

Reşo was then taken Hama, Homs, Mansurah, Tabqa and Raqqa respectively and was subject to religious teachings and military training. Currently still 30 to 35 relatives of his are held hostages by ISIS gangs. Aside from his brother, the aftermath of his other relatives is totally unknown.

Talking about the day when women, children and men were separated from each other, Reşo told that he and his twin brother Sebah were taken to a prison assigned to children. He said not to know how long they were kept there, noting that they were subject to torture countless times and forced to convert to Islam during their imprisonment. He said dozens of Êzidî children who refused to accept this were massacred in front of his eyes, and he accepted to become a Muslim because he was very frightened after all those he was through and witnessed.

Reşo remarked that the gangs later prepared and took the children in groups to Raqqa and its surroundings without even telling them where they were being taken. He was then given religious and military training, adding that he knows now how to use Kalashnikov and other weapons.

Reşo, whose twin brother was near him during all this process, was taken afterwards to Hama, Homs, Mansurah and Tabqa.

“They held us in every of those cities for three to four months. They were caring about us particularly. We did never want to be through all those training sessions but we couldn’t say anything because we were afraid. They did not separate my brother from me. I don’t know why but he was always near me.”

Reşo stated that at times he and his twin brother spoke to each other clandestinely in the Kurdish language and said: "When the ISIS members noticed, they threatened us and threatened us to not use Kurdish once again. At the end they took me from Hama to Raqqa, where I was put into a group of some ISIS members. After some days I was taken to the front line. Some positions of the ISIS gangs were hit by airstrikes. The ISIS gangs are stuck in Raqqa. There they also assign the Êzidî children to the war."

Reşo, who has been rescued in Old Town Raqqa from the clutches of ISIS finally after three years, said that the ISIS gangs are resorting to child soldiers by use of force, adding: "Here they separated me from my brother Sebah who was put in another group that were settled in a house not away from ours. During an operation 10 ISIS members next to me were killed and I was rescued. But I still do not know where my brother is now."

After his rescue, Reşo was taken to a safe location by the YJŞ fighters.