Community Defence Forces / Women (HPC-JIN) are giving women in the Tall Tamr (Til Temir) district of Hasakah weapons training to defend themselves and their lands against the Turkish occupiers as part of the state of emergency and mobilisation for war, reports JINHA.

On 6 July, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) declared a state of emergency due to the Turkish state’s attacks and occupation of the region, and its plans for annexation, particularly since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey has announced his stated intention of further incursions.

‘We need to be ready for the attacks’

HPC-JIN member Medya Memo is training the women. She explained that there have been attacks since 2012, saying they need to be ready for all different kinds of attacks. She recalled what ISIS had done in Sinjar (Şengal):

“They carried out savage attacks against Sinjar – people were abducted, murdered, subjected to severe torture. So self-defence is vital, and we need to learn more about it. We’re educating our community against the attacks. There is a pregnant woman coming to the self-defence training, her pregnancy is no obstacle to her. All our people need to be ready for the attacks.”

‘Everyone needs to get trained’

Terfa Fawaz, one of those taking part in the self-defence training, said self-defence was important and they were getting weapons training in order to protect their cities and their country. She said all sectors of society should receive self-defence training.

‘We will resist to our dying breath’

Hilala Aliyat, another woman receiving the training, said they would resist any attacks to their dying breath, explaining, “One of my sons fell as a martyr, and I’m receiving self-defence training from his comrades. All of us are ready to protect our land.”