JINHA

KOBANÊ – YPG/YPJ forces' two-month campaign to liberate the villages of Kobanê from ISIS gangs has entered the phase of victory, with returning villagers forming self-defense units to protect their lands.

Thousands of people, who had to leave Kobanê due to the Daesh attacks that started on September 15, recently began to return to their homeland to rebuild life in the villages of Kobanê.

55-year-old CemilEhmed, a resident of Qorê village, was forced to livein Suruç, on the Turkish side of the border for months. He returned to KobanÍ following victory of Kurdish defense forces.

Cemil said that when the Daesh attacks intensified, he could not stay and fight due to his age"But now the conditions are better, and we have come here to defend our lands."

Another villager, Muhammed Bişar, 55, was wounded three times during the battles in the canton. His two sons fight in the ranks of YPG in KobanÍ, was wounded three times during the battles in the canton. Muhammed has now joined the local self-defense force.

"Of course, everyone dies," said Muhammed. "But I want to die here in the defense of our lands." He called on everyone to join the self-defense forces, saying "we will not abandon our lands anymore."

Nusret Ehmed, one of the young people who have begun to join the village defense forces in his village of Qeynterê, said the historical January 26 liberation of Kobanê had deeply affected him.

"We won't let the Daesh gangs even come close to our land anymore," he said, promising to defend what the many martyred YPG/YPJ forces had fought for.

na/mç/fk/nt/cm)