NEWS CENTER - Siamend Eli, one of the first YPG members to reach the region during the 2014 attacks against Shengal, stated that they saw thousands of peshmerga flee while advancing from Rojava to Shengal, and that the YPG and YPJ were the only ones that resisted against ISIS.

 

Evaluating the Iraqi army's attack on Shengal, from which they fled after the ISIS attacks on August 3, 2014, with the support of the KDP to Hawar News Agency (ANHA), YPG Press Center Officer Siyamend Eli stated that YPG and YPJ forces paid a heavy price to protect Shengal. Eli said: "The protection of Shengal means the protection of all religions, beliefs, ethnicities and components in the Middle East. The YPG and YPJ protected the sacred space of the Middle East by protecting Shengal."

 

'ISIS WAS ATTACKING'

 

Siyamend Eli stated that August 2014 was one of the most difficult times for Northern and Eastern Syria, that there was a state of war in Shehba and Afrin regions from Derik to Kobanê, and that ISIS was carrying out brutal attacks against Kurdish regions at that time. Eli said: "The YPG and YPJ stood up to the attacks with a brave resistance. On August 3, 2014, the Ceza and Til Koçer regions faced heavy attacks, and we were stationed there. We were informed that Shengal was besieged and that ISIS mercenaries carried out heavy attacks on Shengal. According to the first information we had, there were many dead and wounded, but we did not know exactly what was going on. Shengal is protected by the Iraqi army and the government of Bashurê Kurdistan. But according to the information we have, the people of Shengal were going through genocide. However, the YPJ and YPG General Command ordered the fighters close to the area to get to Shengal.

 

WHY SENGAL?

 

Stating that when they arrived in Shengal, ISIS intensified their attacks, everyone was in defense position, and all the fighters started to go to Shengal after getting information about the geography of Shengal, Eli said: "There was a fierce battle between YPJ, YPG and ISIS gangs. Many of our friends were martyred on the way to Xanesor and Shengal Mountain. Why did we run to the aid of Shengal? First, the fact that the people living there are Kurds and they support us. Second, we know ISIS well. When it enters a region, it commits massacres in that region. Third, We did not want the people of Shengal to face another genocide. We did not want Shengal to fall because it is the main center of the Kurdish people, one of the most ancient peoples in the Middle East, whose history goes back thousands of years. ISIS wanted to destroy the center of Kurdish history as well."

 

SCENES FROM A GENOCIDE 

 

Stating that he witnessed the scenes of a genocide when he crossed the border between Rojava and Shengal, Siamend Eli continued: "Citizens lost their lives due to thirst. I witnessed the screams of children who lost their parents and children abandoned by their families. The civilians killed themselves by jumping off the cliffs so as not to fall into the hands of ISIS and damage their dignity. These events took place after the forces protecting Shengal left Shengal to ISIS gangs. We could not smell anything except the smell of blood, only screams, dust, fear and anxiety prevailed. I have never seen such a scene in my life. Children lost their lives due to thirst and drought. The people of Shengal were covered in blood after walking dozens of kilometers in the desert heat. When we arrived in Shengal, we formed units to protect the remaining Shengal people. The first unit consisted of local forces, the other, we established a line of protection on two fronts, especially with HPG, and then we responded to the attacks."

 

 

'WE SAW THE PESHMERGA FLEE' 

 

Stating that they saw no one protecting Shengal when they arrived, and that they saw thousands of peshmerga fleeing, Siyamend Eli said: "I saw how they fled. We gathered many of them at one point. Some were wounded. Some were scared. We reached our checkpoints. On our way to Shengal, we saw many peshmerga fleeing. Some of the conversations that I can never forget was that they said that we could not do anything other than heavy weapons to deal with ISIS. Of course, as the YPJ and YPG, we had nothing but hand grenades and knives. The weapons in the hands of the peshmerga were advanced and modern, but since they did not have the will and courage, they left Shengal and fled, leaving the Shengal people, opinion leaders, women and children behind. How did they abandon women and children in a situation that apalled even us? How could they not hear the cries of the children? How did they let this blood dry on the ground? How did they abandon these children, women and youth? How did they not give the people of Shengal weapons to protect themselves?

 

'HPG AND YPG PROTECTED THE PEOPLE'

 

Stating that the protection of Shengal is a matter of will, not weapons, Siamend Eli said, "We got there and we fought fierce battles against ISIS, HPG guerrillas covered thousands of kilometers and reached Shengal to protect them. The Iraqi army and peshmerga forces, which have about 6 thousand fighters and have advanced and modern weapons, could not protect a small geography like Shengal. To protect Shengal and its people, our troops fought relentlessly against ISIS with all their might. We formed a circle around the Shengal Mountains to protect the people of Shengal and respond to the ISIS attacks. Our units and HPG protected Shengal and its people." 

 

'WE DEFEND THE SACRED HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE EAST'

 

Saying that their visit to Shengal was very meaningful, Siyamend Eli said: "When we talk about Shengal, we are talking about tens of thousands of years of history. We are talking about the history of the Middle East, the life of the Middle East begins here, so we went to Shengal. When the enemy attacked Shengal, the enemy was aware that destroying Shengal was the end of the Middle East, defeating Shengal was the defeat of the history of the region. Because of this, ISIS thought that they could defeat by attacking Shengal with all its might. We fought selflessly and unconditionally to protect Shengal. Protecting Shengal means protecting all religions, beliefs and components of the Middle East. As the YPG and YPJ, we are aware that protecting Shengal is defending the sacred history of the Middle East."

 

'WE PROTECT SHENGAL'

 

Eli stated that the Iraqi army and KDP forces escaped from Shengal and caused another massacre order against the people of Shengal, and that the world saw how the YPG/YPJ and the people of Rojava went to Shengal and saved the Yazidis from a great genocide: "We saw that they started an attack against Shengal, they wanted to take Shengal under control and put an end to the YBŞ/YJŞ and Shengal Autonomous Administration, and they used heavy weapons in their attacks. History wrote down how they abandoned the people of Shengal and how they cooperated in shedding the blood of the people of Shengal. With what right does the KDP attack Shengal? Dozens of YPG fighters were martyred and injured to protect Shengal. We are telling the people of Shengal, it is true that we are not in Shengal right now. There are Shengal Defense forces and Shengal administration, but if Shengal is subjected to another genocide, we will not remain silent and we will go to Shengal again. We are ready to protect Shengal and its mountains at any time, we do not want war, conflicts should be resolved through diplomatic means, the Iraqi government should not stand against the people of Shengal. Shengal belongs to Iraq, the government should be aware of its responsibilities and protect Shengal. As YPG fighters, we do not accept that Shengal is facing a new attack, whatever is needed, we will protect Shengal today as we did in 2014."

 

'WE WILL BE WITH SHENGAL'

 

Siyamend Eli reminded that in August 2014, not only did the military parties fulfill their duties, but the peoples of Northern and Eastern Syria rose up to protect the people of Shengal in general and moved to the border by declaring mobilization with the organisations and institutions of the people of Northern and Eastern Syria, Siyamend Eli said: "Now, we call on the peoples of Northern and Eastern Syria and Kurdistan to stand up to protect Shengal, and we are aware of the agreements being made in secret. Shengal is a sacred place, it is worth protecting. The Kurdish people should know that the KDP will try to besiege Shengal and new massacres against the people of Shengal. Of course, the peoples of Northern and Eastern Syria will stand by the people of Shengal, as they did in 2014.