The Afrin Liberation Forces released a statement announcing the death of two of their fighters in the Turkish-occupied Afrin city.
The HRE statement on Monday said: “The Kurdish people, the owners of these ancient lands, have always faced policies of attack, genocide and destruction since history and have been left alone. The above-ground and underground, cultural and geographical riches have become a place of occupation for the enemy. With the emergence of the genius and ideas of Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan), especially with the determinations and analyses he made, Leader Apo said ‘Kurdistan is a colony’ and started the freedom march. Our people, who were on the verge of extinction, found their existence in the thoughts and philosophy of Leader Apo. It rebuilt itself from the ashes, revived and developed. One of the cities of Kurdistan that took its place in the struggle and resistance for the unique victory of our freedom march is our city of Afrin.”
According to the statement, HRE fighter Xalid Mihemed was martyred in the Shera district of Afrin in a brutal attack of the occupation forces on 7 September. “Xalid Mihemed, who was born into a patriotic family, grew up attached to his culture. Based on his principles, he did unprecedented work for his people so that they could return to their lands.”
HRE fighter Kemal Pîr, on the other hand, was born in Rajo district into a patriotic family committed to Kurdish culture and identity. “With the beginning of the Rojava Freedom Revolution, our comrade grew up in the revolution while he was still young. Especially when al-Nusra, ISIS and various bloodthirsty groups attacked our people with the support of the occupying Turkish state, our comrade Kemal Pîr went to the frontlines of battle. Comrade Kemal showed that he could protect our people against the attacks of the enemy thanks to a strong struggle and a great will. He gained important war experience in this process. In the reality of our country, Comrade Kemal became a true fighter. He both deepened himself in the field of military training and gained knowledge in the field of military culture. He shared everything he learnt with those around him. Because of these intelligent and knowledgeable features, he gained great love among his friends. After the occupying Turkish state invaded Afrin in 2018, our comrade moved to the front lines with his companions and joined the war of freedom and honour against the occupying Turkish army and gangs. Comrade Kemal participated in the freedom march with big dreams and goals from the day he joined until the last moment. In the most difficult places and times, he did his duty with no concerns on the front lines. He always selflessly fulfilled the duties and responsibilities of the time for our people to return to their lands and to end the oppression and occupation on our lands. Comrade Kemal was martyred in the Afrin region on 7 September 2024 while on duty.”
HRE expressed their condolences to the families of the fallen fighters and to the patriotic people, reiterating their promise to their people and their martyrs that they would follow in the footsteps of their fallen companions and liberate the city of Afrin from occupation.
The identity information of the two fighters is as follows:
Nom de Guerre: Kemal Pîr
First-Last Name: Loqman Henan
Mother’s Name: Emîne
Father’s Name: Reşîd
Date and Place of Martyrdom: 7 September 2024/Afrin
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Nom de Guerre: Xalid Mihemed Mihemed
Mother’s Name: Xaliye
Father’s Name: Mihemed
Date and Place of Martyrdom: 7 September 2024/Afrin
In other news, the Press Center of the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) said in a statement that guerrillas Amed Efrîn, Firat Sêrt and Fedakar Yadigar, fell as martyrs in July in attacks by the Turkish army in the Xakurke region of South Kurdistan. The HPG paid tribute to the martyrs, saying they were revolutionary militants and selfless bearers of hope for the Kurdish people, and expressed their condolences to their families and the people.
The HPG provided the following information on the identity and biographies of the fallen soldiers from Rojava and Bakur:
Code name: Amed Efrîn
First and last name: Zeki Hasan
Place of birth: Efrîn
Names of mother and father: Zeynep – Muhammed
Date and place of death: July 20, 2024 / Xakurkê
Code name: Firat Sêrt
First and last name: Mehmet Selçuk
Place of birth: Sêrt
Names of mother and father: Asya – Haci Gurî
Date and place of death: July 20, 2024 / Xakurkê
Code name: Fedakar Yadigar
First and last name: Mücahit Önal
Place of birth: Mûş
Names of mother and father: Yadigar – Selahattin
Date and place of death: July 21, 2024 / Xakurkê
Amed Efrîn
Amed Efrîn was born in Efrîn-Jindirês and grew up in an environment close to the Kurdish freedom movement. He attended a state school for six years and experienced the oppression of the Kurdish population by the Syrian regime first hand. As an adolescent, he was involved in the revolutionary youth movement in Northern Syria, and in 2012 he joined the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla. After basic training in the Medya Defense Areas, he took on various tasks in the mountains.
When he wanted to return to Northern Syria to defend the revolution in Rojava, he was arrested by the Assad regime. A year later, he was released and went back to the mountains. There he took part in ideological training and intensively analyzed Abdullah Öcalan and his own personality.
He then went to Xakurke and took part in tunnel construction and the construction of infrastructure. When the Turkish occupation attack on the region began, he fought on the front lines. During an attack on 20 July, he fell as a martyr.
Firat Sêrt
Firat Sêrt was born in Sêrt-Berwarî and grew up in the culture typical of the Botan region. He was already familiar with the Kurdish liberation movement as a child and admired the guerrillas. After eight years of classes at state schools, where he had to speak Turkish instead of his mother tongue Kurmancî, he began working to support his family.
When ISIS attacked Kobanê in 2014 with the support of the Turkish state, Firat decided to join the armed resistance and went to the mountains. He took part in training for new fighters in the Medya Defense Areas and then did practical training in various regions in South Kurdistan.
He was last deployed in Xakurke, where he took part in the resistance against the Turkish occupation as an apoist militant. “Our comrade Firat fought for the values he believed in until the last moment of his life. On 20 July 2024, he joined the caravan of the martyrs during an enemy attack and thus went down in the history of our people’s struggle.”
Fedakar Yadigar
Fedakar Yadigar was born in Mûş and grew up in an atmosphere shaped by the Kurdish resistance tradition. In his environment there was a high level of awareness of the freedom struggle and Fedakar became a sympathizer of the PKK at an early age.
From 2012, he worked as an active member of the Kurdish youth movement. Deeply affected by the massacres committed by ISIS with the support of the Turkish state in Rojava and Shengal as well as by the liberation of Kobanê, which was fought for at great sacrifice, he joined the guerrillas in Bakur (North Kurdistan) in 2015. He quickly got used to the collective life of the guerrillas in the mountains and, after training, he went to Xakurke, where he took part in practical work and carried out difficult tasks.
Guerrilla Fedakar Yadigar was killed in an enemy attack on 21 July 2024. “He defended Kurdistan at the cost of his life,” the HPG said.