Newroz Dijwar/JINHA

SULAYMANIYAH – Refugees who fled Daesh attacks on Kobanê say that with the liberation of the city of Girê Spî, they are hoping to return to their native city.

Tens of thousandsfled the city of Kobanê, in Rojava (Western Kurdistan) when Daesh attacked. Some headed east to Sulaymaniyah, located in the Federal Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Southern Kurdistan). Although Kobanê was liberated in January, many have been unable to return because of the Daesh presence across Syria and Iraq. JINHA spoke with a group of women refugees from Kobanê about the Girê Spî victory.

On Monday night, YPJ/YPG forces and their allies liberated the city of Girê Spî (Tel Abyad) from Daesh occupation and opened a road between the easternmost canton of Rojava—Cizîrê, which borders the Federal Kurdistan Region—and the city of Kobanê.

"Since we got the news, I haven't been able to stay inside," said Feryal Abdi, one of the women now hoping to return to Kobanê. "We want the [border] gate to open immediately. We want to return to our country and see it again. We never believed the day would come when Kobanê and Cizîrê would be united."

Sena Ahmed, a woman of Arab origins from Aleppo, was also celebrating the Girê Spî victory in Sulaymaniyah. Sena's husband is Kurdish and she has spent the last 10 years living in a Kurdish community. The war in Syria forced her and her family to flee.

"There's no difference between the Kurds and the Arabs, and the union of Girê Spî and Cizîrê shows this. Congratulations to all Arabs and Kurds on this victory," she said. Sena said she hoped the victory would the occasion for other parts of Syria to be freed from Daesh's hands so that she and the thousands like her would be able to return to their homes.

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