People's Defense Units (YPG) have liberated 4 more villages in the Til Hemis area near Tirbespiyê after liberating the town of Til Berik (Tell Brak), 45 km from Qamişlo, from armed groups affiliated to Al Qaeda.

According to YPG sources the YPG carried out an operation this morning against armed groups in the area between Qamişlo and Hesekê (al-Hasaka).

On the evening of 26 December there were violent clashes between YPG forces and armed groups of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), linked to Al Qaeda, in the vicinity of the villages of Ebu Xezef, Xenamiyê and upper and lower Bizoniyê near Til Hemis.

As a result of these clashes YPG forces ejected the Al Qaeda groups from 4 villages. The operation is continuing in the area.

5 cities, 6 towns and more than 100 villages liberated in 2013

The People’s Defence Units (YPG) have achieved great military success in 2013 in West Kurdistan. The Rojava revolution began with the people taking control of the town of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) on July 19th 2012, and in 2013 at least 5 cities, 6 towns and over 100 villages have been liberated by the YPG. Amongst the places liberated are the border crossing of Til Kocher (Ya'rubiyya) on the road to Mosul and the city of Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ayn) on the border of North Kurdistan.

War balance sheet

According to a balance sheet issued by the YPG on 22 December, 376 soldiers from the Syrian regime forces and 2,923 members of armed groups from ISIS and the Al Nusra front linked to Al Qaeda have been killed in clashes in 2013. In these clashes 379 members of the YPG and YPJ (women's defence forces) have also been killed.

790 soldiers and police of the Syrian forces have also been taken prisoner, most of them being released or handed over to their families. 587 members of ISIS and the Al Nusra front, who are attacking the Kurds, have also been captured. The YPG, states that 91 of these are of foreign nationality.

In clashes 12 tanks, 145 tank shells, 7 armoured cars, 68 anti-aircraft weapons of various sizes, 240 vehicles, 43 military vehicles, 27 mortars, 560 mortar shells, two 122 millimetre shells, 147 shells 35 RPGs and 980 RPG grenades were seized.

19 Karnas sniper rifles, 11 M16 rifles, 38 BKC machine guns, 2967 AK 47s, 421 pistols, 84 tonnes of explosives and mines, 7 Katyusha rockets, 38 night sights, 297 pairs of binoculars, 4 small mortars, 5 Dojeh shells, 95 walkie-talkies and telephones, 9 cameras, 16 laptops, 2900 hand grenades, 78 missiles of various size and type and 548 thousand Kalashnikov and BKC rounds were also seized. 9 tanks, 6 armoured cars, 56 vehicles and large amounts of ammunition were also destroyed in clashes during the year.