WEST KURDISTAN (SYRIA) MESOP : Fighting Intensifies South Of Kobanê

ROJAVA REPORT – (ANF) 7.7.2014 –  Yesterday evening forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) attacked the village of Kon Eftar, 35 km to the south of Kobanê. Following intense fighting, YPG forces based around the village were able to push back the ISIS assault.

39 ISIS members were killed and a large number wounded in the attempt to capture the village. 2 YPG – Mihemed Şêx (codename: Bavê Öcalan and Elî Mehmûd (codename: Şoreş Spî) – fighters also lost their lives. According to YPG sources the fighting continued for 7 hours. ISIS forces pushed forward using tanks and under the cover of motor and heavy machine-gun fire. The ISIS is now using many heavy weapons captured from the Iraqi army last month. Following the ISIS withdrawal YPG forces were able to recover a number of weapons, including 10 kalashnikovs, 3 7.63 PKM’s, 2 rocket launchers, and a large number of munitions.

Fighting Continues To The East Of Kobanê

Fighting between the ISIS and the YPG also continued around the village of Zormixar to the East of Kobanê. YPG fighters launched an opperation around noon today to destroy an ISIS tank using a anti-vehicle mine. The operation was reported to have been successful, with the YPG destroying the tank and killing 6 ISIS fighters.ISIS has met stiff resistance as it has attempted to advance on Kobanê. In the last week more than 200 ISIS fighters and 15 YPG fighters have been killed.

Karayılan: They Want To Capture The Whole Of Rojava

PKK Executive Committee Member Murat Karayılan told reporters that the ISIS attack on Kobanê was strategic in character and the ultimate goal was the capture of the entirety of Rojava. For this reason ISIS continues to engage YPG forces throughout Rojava but in particular has chosen surround Kobanê where it is now engaged in fighting on three separate fronts.

According to Karayılan the ISIS have given Kobanê the name “Ayn al-Islam” (Eye of Islam) – which is itself a play on the name given to the city by the Syrian Baath regime  “Ayn al-Arab” (Eye of the Arabs) – to demonstrate that they consider the city part of their state. If they take Kobanê today, Karayılan argues, they will be able to capture Kirkuk tomorrow. For this reason they have started with Kobanê. Karayılan reiterated that all four parts of Kurdistan need to take political responsibility for the defense of Kobanê and not only the YPG, PYD or the canton governments. Finally, he called on all Kurdish leaders and organizations to not remain silent in face of such attacks.