On 20 January 2018, the occupying Turkish army and allied mercenaries carried out a brutal attack with dozens of fighter jets against Afrin Canton, targeting many archaeological areas and over 185 civilians. 

The people of Afrin, and fighters of the People’s and Women’s Protection Units (YPG-YPJ) waged a 58-day historic resistance in the first round of the Resistance of the Age.

Every fighter and individual took active roles in the resistance. In response to the unabated attacks by the Turkish state and allied gangs, dozens of fighters from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood of Aleppo flocked into Afrin Canton.

Speaking to ANHA, fighters involved in the Resistance of the Age assessed the resistance in Afrin.

Eziz Sipan, one of the fighters from Sheikh Maqsoud, stated that on the 4th day of the attacks, he came to Afrin together with a group of fighters and they were divided into three groups, two of which crossed into Rajo district and one into Bilbile district.

‘We did not give up resistance till the last moment’

Eziz Sipan, who was involved in the group crossing into Bilbile district, called the attacks on Afrin an annihilation attempt against humans, nature and culture, saying, “We were in a strategic region. The Turkish state continued the brutal attacks and killed many of our comrades. However, we did not give up resistance till the last moment.”

“The enemy was attacking with mercenary gangs and advanced weapons. We were continuously forced to switch positions. Sometimes, it was very difficult to save our injured comrades,” added Eziz Sipan.

Underlining that they sometimes had difficulty mobilising since they were not acquainted with the villages of Afrin, he said, “We accumulated food and ammunition because we lost communication with other fronts many times.”

‘We will never leave Afrin’

Çiya Zan Kobanê, one of the brave fighters in the Afrin resistance, said, “We joined the Resistance of the Age in February, ten days after the attack. To support the people and fighters, we went to Afrin.”

Çiya Zan Kobanê, who resisted together with his three comrades against the Turkish invasion in the village of Dmlio, pointed to advanced technical equipment of the enemy, saying, “The Turkish state attacked with artillery and fighter jets. We were waging resistance with only Kalashnikov rifles and rockets, for which reason we could not gather on a single front. In small troops, we spread out in the region. We were continuously running out of ammunition, and it was very difficult to get more. Yet, this did not weaken our willpower.”

“We, as a group of five, were on the front line in Dmlio village. One day, the attacks were intensified; our position was bombarded with howitzers, and all of us were injured. We survived by helping each other. Comrades who were slightly injured helped the others until reaching the closest emergency point,” added Çiya Zan Kobanê.

Pointing to the Turkish attacks targeting the civilian population, he continued, “The Turkish state and mercenaries did not only bomb the fighters. They also targeted civilians, carried out mass slaughters, and devastated nature and monuments.”

“We will return to Afrin and never leave. We are ready to liberate Afrin and all occupied regions,” added Çiya Zan Kobanê.