AVRÎN TOLHILDAN

Qamishlo- The Turkish state and Turkish-backed Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sharqiya started to attack Afrin on January 20, 2018. The Women's Defense Units (YPJ) and the People's Defense Units (YPG) fighters strongly resisted the invasion attacks and defended the region, inflicting a heavy blow on them. The Turkish state intensified its attacks by using all its military force, including its warplanes, to prevent the withdrawal of its armed groups. The resistance of the fighters and the people against the attacks on Afrin lasted 58 days.

Many fighters of the YPJ and YPG joined the resistance in Afrin. One of them was YPJ Commander Avesta Xabûr. Avesta Xabûr bravely took action to stop the attacks on Afrin.

The family of Avesta Xabûr, her birth name Zelîxe Hemo, was originally from the Bêlê village of Afrin’s Bilbile district. She was born in 1998 in Aleppo and grew up in Damascus. In 2014, she joined the YPJ in Afrin. In a short time, she became a commander and a weapon trainer despite her young age. She gained experience by joining the operations to liberate Tinib, Keshtear, Til Rifat and Um Elhûş. In 2015, she joined the Anti-Terror Units of the YPJ.

Her dream was to follow in the footsteps of Zilan and Bêrîtan

Avesta Xabûr’s dream was to follow in the footsteps of Zeynep Kınacı (Zilan) and Gülnaz Karataş (Bêrîtan).

She blew herself up

On January 27, 2018, Avesta Xabûr blew herself up against the tanks of the Turkish state in the Hemam village of Afrin’s Jindires district in order to prevent the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions from carrying out a massacre.

The resistance of YPJ Commander Avesta Xabûr is maintained today by freedom fighters and the people of North and East Syria.