Bêrîvan Înatçî

Hasakah – In the streets that were once battlegrounds, the sound of tank treads mingled with the footsteps of children. The neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh once again refused to surrender. Facing days of siege, heavy weapons, hunger, and obstacles, the people persevered with unwavering resolve, from the young to the old, men and women, young and old. Some stood on the barricades, some carried the wounded, and others raised their voices in resistance, becoming part of this historic stand.

 

This resistance was not merely a military defense. With women on the front lines, leading the resistance with their sacrifices, this stance became a symbol of the feminist liberation movement within the Rojava Revolution. Within the streets of Sheikh Maqsoud, those who refused to surrender were not only those bearing arms, but also everyone who shared their bread at home or even just tended to the wounded, declaring, "We are here," which became the slogan of this resistance.

 

In the neighborhoods that were besieged for six days, many appeared facing tanks with Kalashnikovs, demonstrating that willpower cannot be broken by weapons. What was established in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh has been recorded as a fact in the history of the war: there is no surrender, only those who defend life, dignity, and the shared will.

 

After a six-day resistance by the fighters of the two neighborhoods against thousands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadist fighters and Turkish occupation mercenaries, along with their tanks, artillery, and drones, the wounded from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh resistance were transferred to hospitals in the North and East Syria region.

 

Tulhildan Cûdî, one of the women commanders in the Internal Security Forces, spoke to NuJINHA about the heroic epic and the moments of steadfastness and sacrifice embodied by the fighters and the residents of those neighborhoods.

 

Years of Resistance and Siege

 

Regarding the resistance embodied in Sheikh Maqsoud, Tolhildan Cûdî says, "The resistance in Aleppo is not a product of just one or two years, but rather extends over fourteen years. The resistance in Sheikh Maqsoud left its mark on the course of the Rojava Revolution, as it was from there that the spark of the people's revolutionary war ignited. In that area, the power of arms intertwined with the power of popular will. From that time until today, the people have not abandoned their fighters. At this particular stage, after the fall of the Ba'ath regime and the entry of the jihadist HTS, led by al-Julani, into the scene, the siege imposed on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods intensified, and the entire neighborhood was besieged."

 

Communal Life in the Neighborhood

 

She spoke about the shared life among the residents of the two neighborhoods, emphasizing that Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh are not limited to the Kurdish component alone, but also include Arabs, Syriacs, and Turkmen. "In these neighborhoods, there is no place for differences or distinctions between peoples; everyone lives together like brothers and sisters."

 

She pointed to the long siege policies imposed by the Baath regime and the jihadist groups affiliated with HTS. “Despite the harsh living conditions resulting from the siege, the people’s demand remained to preserve communal life. Basic materials were prevented from entering the neighborhood, and residents were deprived of heating materials in the winter. The goal was to push them towards starvation and displacement and to empty the area of ​​its people. It is a malicious and difficult policy, but it is a systematic policy of the Turkish state, which sought to divide the people, starve them, and displace them. We also faced ISIS attacks, but it was not an organized force capable of launching attacks of this scale. Today, however, the forces that we faced in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh consisted of thousands of soldiers, moving in discipline according to the organized tactics of the Turkish army, distributed into combat units.”

 

Facing Thousands of Mercenaries

 

She pointed out that the attackers in the genocidal operations were all mercenaries of various nationalities, including Turks, Afghans, Chechens, and others. "Despite our small numbers in the Sheikh Maqsoud Defense Forces, we stood shoulder to shoulder with our people, united in protecting the neighborhood. We faced tens of thousands, yet unparalleled resistance was displayed by our comrades, the people, and the fighters who refused to surrender. Everyone fought with a spirit of sacrifice, steadfast in their positions. This resistance was embodied in Heval Denîz and Heval Ziyad. All the resistance fighters said, 'Death is only once, so let it be with dignity this time.' Every fighter, every child, woman, and man stood with this spirit, and their thoughts were all one."

 

A picture from a square that refused to surrender

 

Speaking about the resistance and the people's steadfastness, Tolhildan Cûdî said, "There were many precious moments," noting the difficulty of the attacks. "The attack was different; it was as if its goal was to break our will. But those at the heart of the resistance knew no fear of death, and they refused to surrender." They remained steadfast in their positions, determined not to break. Despite lacking heavy weapons, they confronted the tanks with Kalashnikovs. Usually, engaging a tank requires specialized weapons, but we didn't have them. Yet, the tanks couldn't instill fear in the hearts of the people and the fighters.

 

The sacrifices of their people

 

During the resistance, dozens of men and women stood before the tanks with whatever they had, sacrificing themselves to protect the communal life in the neighborhood. "Many went out as fedayeen, and we saw them with our own eyes carrying their grenades, saying, 'We will blow ourselves up inside the tank.' This is the spirit, this is self-sacrifice. At those moments, the enemy was besieging our forces, demanding our surrender, but no one accepted. Those at the forefront were women, and those who refused to surrender were also women, alongside the young men. The spirit that could change the course of the war was embodied in Heval Ziad and his comrades."

 

Morale, friendship, love, sacrifice

 

She added, "Indeed, those were moments filled with pain, but the morale, friendship, love, sacrifice, and selflessness were the reality we lived through. It cannot be denied that there was a tremendous effort; everyone said, 'We will fight to the end and we will never surrender,' from the children to the elderly."

 

Regarding the attacks on the hospital, she said, "In the end, we found ourselves inside the hospital. According to international law, hospitals are not to be targeted, but the hospital, which was full of wounded, martyrs, and civilians, was bombarded with missiles, tanks, and drones. They wanted those inside to surrender so they could kill them, but no one closed their eyes in fear, and no one trembled. There was no fear in the hearts of the people of Sheikh Maqsoud, nor in the hearts of the fighters."

 

The Resistance Slogan Unites the Residents

 

In a moment of profound silence, when the war seemed to have swallowed all voices, Tolhildan Cûdî emerged onto the roof of a building to break the silence with a single slogan: "Long live the resistance of Sheikh Maqsoud!" Voices rose from everywhere, as if the entire neighborhood had been waiting for that phrase to rediscover itself. As she explained, "The question wasn't 'What do we have?' It was simply another declaration of our will: 'We are the sons of Sheikh Maqsoud, we must protect it.' Thus, the phrase transformed into an eternal promise, and the slogan became an unforgettable memory, embodying the spirit of resistance that will never be broken."

 

Tolhildan Cudi described a pivotal moment in the battle, when silence fell among the fighters. She immediately raised the slogan, "Long live the resistance of Sheikh Maqsoud!" The phrase transformed into a collective cry that revived morale and affirmed the unity of the residents and fighters in the face of the siege.

 

Policies of Dividing Peoples

 

Faced with policies aimed at sowing division among peoples, Sheikh Maqsoud, along with hundreds of his fighters, stood firm for days, defying mercenaries numbering forty-two thousand. Tolhildan Cûdî says, "This war lasted for days, and in the end, despite the fierce attacks, the great spirit of sacrifice emerged for us. This proves that we must be prepared for even greater wars. We don't say Arab or Kurd; many of our Arab comrades fought with us, and our Arab people were with us. This doesn't mean we discriminate between peoples. No one should believe this propaganda that says: 'The Arabs did this, the Kurds did that.' This is a policy aimed at dividing communities, but we have lived together for years, and we want to prove a shared idea: that there is no difference between peoples. In Sheikh Maqsoud, there was no discrimination between peoples, and we saw that with our own eyes and lived by it."

 

Sheikh Maqsoud wrote history with resistance

 

In closing, Tolhildan Cûdî affirmed that "the resistance of Sheikh Maqsoud will become history. In the end, there was steadfastness, sacrifice, and unity. Our people completed the mission, and we completed the mission of our people. I wish victory to all, and I repeat once again: Long live the resistance of Sheikh Maqsoud! Long live the resistance of Sheikh Maqsoud!"