YPG retakes more than 332 villages in Ayn al- Arab “Kobane”, and consultations to convert about a third of the city to a museum
BY RAMI ABDURRAHMAN (OSSAMA SULEIMAN)
YPG, backed by rebel battalions, could retake more than 332 villages in the areas located in the whole western countryside of the city of Ayn al- Arab “Kobani”, wide parts from the eastern and southern eastern countryside of the city to the French cement plant of Lafraj and the villages around it in the province of al- Raqqa as well as in the southern countryside of Kobani towards the IS- held town of Serin since January 26, 2015, the date of retaking the city of Yan al- Arab “Kobani”. The town had witnessed clashes for 3 months and 20 days. 70% of the city of Kobani has been destroyed and uninhabitable. There have been consultations in the city to convert about a third of the city’s area into a museum in order to be as “a witness on Kobani’s resistance in fighting IS” but a part of people of Ayn al- Arab “Kobani” refuse to convert their houses that grew up in into museum and demanding to reconstruct them after they were devastated by shelling, clashes and US led coalition airstrikes.
SOHR documented the death of 2077 people since the 16th of September/2014, the date of IS attack on Ayn al-Arab ”Kobane”, until the 16th of April/2015.
The death toll distributed as follows:
39 Kurdish civilians; 17 of them (including 2 teenagers ) executed by IS in the countryside of Ayn al-Arab”Kobane”, 4 of them were beheaded while the rest killed due to IS violent bombardment on Ayn al-Arab ”Kobane”, which started in the 27th of September, firing and explosion of landmines planted by IS before they retreated from Ayn al- Arab and its countryside.
561 fighters from YPG and al-Asayesh killed in clashes and IS bombardment in Ayn al-Arab ”Kobane” and its outskirts, including a female commander in the Women Protection Units who attack an IS gathering on the eastern outskirts of the city where she clashes with IS militants before to blew herself up , and a number of fighters who were beheaded (including 3 females).
1442 IS Syrian, Arab and foreign militants killed during clashes, shelling, ambushes and by targeting their vehicles and positions in Ayn al-Arab ”Kobane” and its outskirts, 60 of them blew themselves up in areas in the city and its countryside.
26 rebels, who were backing the YPG in the fight against the IS, were killed during the clashes in the countryside of Ayn al-Arab” Kobane”.
A volunteer in YPG was killed when he was transporting ammo in his car to one of the fighting fronts in the city.
3 armed villagers died in clashes with IS in the village of Sali in the southern countryside of Ayn al- Arab, information reported that IS beheaded on of them.
A dissident captain from Homs allied to IS killed by clashes against YPG in Kobane.
Information reported that some Kurdish fighters from Turkey and Iran died in the same clashes.