MESOP HASSAKEH + QAMISHLI TODAY : More Kurdish losses in struggle against Assad regime

January 22, 2015 – ARA News – Qamishli, Syria – The People’s Protection Units (YPG) announced that 18 people were killed, including fighters and civilians, in the recent clashes with the Syrian regime forces and allied militias in the city of Hasakah, in northeastern Syria.The Media Center of the YPG issued a statement (of which ARA News received a copy) saying: “During our resistance against fascism, four of our fighters, four civilians and eight members of the Assayish forces (security arm of the Democratic Union Party “PYD”) have joined the martyrs’ convoy.”

“On January 16, 2015, the Baath fascist forces (in reference to pro-Assad militias) attacked YPG and YPJ’s (Women Protection Units) bases and bombed the Kurdish neighborhoods of Hasakah with heavy weapons such as mortars and guns,” the statement said. “Our units repelled the offensive after clashes with forces of the (Assad) regime.”“Dozens were killed in the ranks of the Baathist regime forces.” “We promise our people in Rojava (Syrian Kurdish areas) in general and Hasakah in particular that no one will be able to desecrate the pure land watered with the blood of our martyrs. The terrorists (Islamic State militants) have also tried to occupy Kobane but they couldn’t defeat the Kurdish willing,” The MC’s statement read. The YPG appealed, in its statement, to all young men and women to join the ranks of the YPG and YPJ in order to defend the land and dignity of their people from humiliation by this chauvinist and terrorist regime.Speaking to ARA News in Hasakah, civil rights activist Ghassan Hamo said that calm has prevailed in the city of Hasakah since Tuesday night, adding that the truce was mediated between the two sides after the intervention of the elderly people of the city between the leaders of the two parties. Noteworthy, the city of Hasakah witnessed fierce clashes between the YPG and the Assayish forces on the one hand, and the regime’s military forces backed by the National Defense militia on the other hand, from Friday night until Tuesday evening. Reporting by: Dilshad MuhammadSource: ARA News