Today is the anniversary of the victory against ISIS in Kobani. On January 26, 2015, our people and fighters of People’s Defense Units and Women’s Defense Units won a historical victory against the terror group. ISIS terror reign were at its peak and its activities caused an enormous horror and intimidation among the governments and peoples of the region. The massacres committed by ISIS in various places and the fear it sparked made several armies of the region flee from their positions, thus leaving cities and towns to the mercy of ISIS. ISIS launched attacks against Kurdish city of Kobani, which later became the beginning of its fall, in September 2014 when the group was enjoying full control over large swathes of areas of Syria and Iraq.

The resistance of Kobani had become a source of hope for the region and the whole world. Countless people from all over the world and especially from four parts of Kurdistan headed to Kobani to take place in the historical resistance. Our forces pioneered a great defensive battle against ISIS terrorism for months. In the months following liberation of Kobani, several towns and cities occupied by ISIS were liberated one by one. In 2019, the fight against ISIS reached a new stage in Baghouz where the group’s territorial control was eradicated and the self-proclaimed ‘state’ crumbled.

With sacrifice and efforts of our fighters, the people of Kurdistan and all the components of the region and with contribution of international volunteers and our friends, The Battle of Kobani became the symbol of the struggle for freedom and left a legacy that lives on. Today, those who liberated Kobani from ISIS face all kinds of oppression, assimilation and attacks by those who unconditionally supported ISIS and share the same mindset with them. Those occupying Efrîn, Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî are on the same page of the history with those who attempted to invade Kobani. Terror groups founded, armed and funded by Turkey want to revenge the defeat of ISIS in Kobani by attacking our forces and our people. The complicit silence of world powers in the face of these attacks is once again leaving people of the region to the mercy of mercenaries of Turkey, who are no less evil than ISIS. The history will not forget these attacks and who enabled them by remainig silent, just like it didn’t forget who fought hard and made the ultimate sacrifice to liberate their city from jihadists.

We the People’s Defense Units and Women’s Defense Units, as the fighters devoted to the protection of the values of progressive humanity, remember with respect and gratitude the great men and women who fell fighting in Kobani. We once again reiterate that we will keep up the struggle against all forms of attacks with determination and with the great spirit of resistance of Kobani, we will continue to do everything in our power to defend our people and our revolution.

General Command of YPG | January 26, 2021