Zerin Kurtay-Rojda Serhat/JINHA

SHENGAL – Fighters in the effort to liberate Shengal from Daesh occupation pledge to get revenge for the Êzidîs killed and captured in Daesh's attack on the city.

Since Daesh assaulted the city of Shengal in Southern Kurdistan in August, Êzidî self-defense units and fighters from all parts of Kurdistan have been leading a protective operation on the mountain. YPJ fighter Dicle Ela was part of the initial operation to open an emergency corridor from Rojava to Shengal.

"Daesh will fall here like they did in Kobanê," said Dicle. "We'll stay another year if we have to."

Axin Yezidxan is a Shengal resident who joined the women's self-defense group YPJ Shengal when she witnessed the extent of the genocidal and femicidal massacre against her people.

"Until today, we were under the control of others. We said,'let others protect us,'" said Axin. "But after the latest massacre, we understood that the forces supposed to protect us were our enemies."

In the wake of the massacre, PKK fighters supported the founding of the Êzidî self-defense groups YBŞ and YPJ Shengal. The groups YJA Star, HPG, YPJ, YPG and YBŞ are now in the fortification operation working to push Daesh forces from the area.

"They still call the PKK terrorists," says Mizgin Tolhildan, a YPJ Shengal fighter. "But the PKK aren't terrorists; the ones who call them that are the real terrorists."

HPG fighter Argeş Gever has been on the front in Shengal for four months. He says the gang tactics on the mountain have been particularly aimed at producing negative psychological attacks in the fighters.

"But in spite of everything, all the comrades fighting here have high morale," he said, "because our goal is to get revenge for an oppressed people."

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