The day of the defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) attack on a prison compound in Haseke, northeast Syria, has coincided with the anniversary of its defeat in the battle of Kobane in 2015.

The ISIS attack against the Kurdish-majority city of Kobane in northeast Syria had started on 15 September 2014, and ISIS was defeated on 26 January 2015, a date which marked a turning point in the international fight against the jihadist group.

The following December, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the major armed force of the AANES, ended the ISIS occupation in the Tişrîn Dam, and 12 August 2016, another important town, Manbij, was liberated.

By 17 October 2017, ISIS lost its de-facto capital of Raqqa in Syria. After the SDF ended the ISIS ‘caliphate’ in the battle of Raqqa, it moved to Baghuz. On 23 March 2019, Baghuz, the last remaining ISIS hold, was freed.

All the autonomous peoples in the region had participated in the liberation, Euphrates Law Council co-chair Mihemed Hemdan told Hawar News on Thursday.

With branches of the autonomous administration established in the liberated areas, locals founded their own communes and assemblies.

“The people saw that they could govern themselves. On this basis they self-organised. This project was particularly important for the Arab community,” Hemdan said.

“The ISIS defeat and the establishment of the autonomous administration brought back services for the people of the region. They won back their rights, and women in particular achieved better rights.”

In a statement on Wednesday the AANES commemorated the Kobane victory while celebrating the success of the Sina’a Prison operation. The AANES added:

“This victory in Haseke is a second turning point for our people in the fight against ISIS. In 2015, ISIS suffered a great defeat in Kobane. Today, the Turkish state’s strategy hidden in ISIS garb is defeated in Haseke.”