YPG Calls on all Kurdish Groups to Unite Against Jihadist Threats in Rojava
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – All Kurdish groups in the region must set aside their differences and unite to counter threats by Islamic extremists in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), said the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) which is the most powerful Kurdish force in Syrian Kurdistan.
“All the parties and forces of Rojava, the officials of the autonomous Cantons of Cizire, Kobani and Afrin, the Kurdish national Council and Council of western Kurdistan must put aside their differences at this stage,” the YPG said in a statement.
It suspended military operations in the three cantons, created in the northeast last month by its political overseer, the PYD, saying it would only act defensively.
However, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has vowed to take control over the Kobani area and annex it to areas under its control. In the past several days, it has launched heavy assaults on Kobani areas, but has failed to capture territories due to resistance by YPG fighters.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that ISIS has also clashed with YPG in some villages west of Tal Abyad in Raqqa province bordering Turkey. The clashes forced people to flee for Turkey.
“Above all (we urge) the Kurdistan Region presidency, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), BDP (Peace and Democracy Party), Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the Change movement (Gorran) and all the leaders and officials of southern Kurdistan (Kurdistan Region) to take up their historical role and counter the threats facing Rojava,” the statement said.
The Kurdish force reaffirmed its resolve to continue to fight the armed groups that launch attacks on Kurdish areas. “We will continue to fight to protect the population of western Kurdistan (Rojava) and prevent attempts to destroy the geographical status and disturb the social relations in the region,” the YPG said.
The statement noted that YPG defense does not discriminate against anyone, despite the political differences and problems among the political parties and organizations of Rojava.
The YPG described ISIS assaults on the town of Kobani as “merciless,” saying that the jihadist group aims at cutting off Kurdish areas from one another.
“Merciless attacks are launched by ISIS against the people of Kobani, al-Raqqa and Gre Spi.” “ISIS attacks are aimed at controlling Ramilan to cut off the Kurdish areas from one another.”
The statement also accuses Arab and international media of avoid to cover the incidents happening in Rojava. In the meantime, it accuses the Syrian opposition of silence against the attacks on the Kurds.
“Originally the attack is aimed at all the Kurds because they have targeted Kurdish homeland and its history and it would be stupid to consider the attacks on only one party,” the YPG said. “The victory of the YPG in Rojava is the victory for all the Kurds.”
PYD’s ties with the Kurdistan Region have been strained because the former refused to abide by the Erbil agreement brokered by Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani in 2012, which brought the PYD’s People’s Council of Western Kurdistan and Kurdish National Council under the newly-created Kurdish Supreme Council.
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