TRAIN HARD, FIGHT EASY
Hundreds of women have arrived from districts bordering Iran to defend Iraqi Kurdistan's borders and liberate Daesh-occupied areas. Since 2014, the women have undergone vigorous training before and during their active service. It was that year when the Kurds, both men and women, decided to stand up against the "caliphate."
Khamanu Nakshabandi, an experienced Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighter, says that her parents joined the Kurdish Peshmerga in 1979, which inspired her to do the same.
Now, under the supervision of experienced fighters like her, young Kurdish women are refining their fighting skills daily and learning military discipline. They are preparing for a battle with an enemy they see every day from a few hundred meters away.
"After liberating this area in 2015, this point became the last one to be freed near Dubz. Right in front of us all you see is Daesh villages," Khamanu said, adding that this area is Kurdish and used to be populated by their ancestors.
She notes that over the past three years of war, she had learned not only how to fight but how to speak a new language.
"I have not spoken Arabic for 40 years of my life but the war and refugees fleeing from Daesh territories forced us to learn Arabic, so that we could understand the people turning to us as they escape death, murder and rape," the woman said.
"I am 20 years old and I am here to be proud of my life and to defend the Kurdish dream," Ayrin Akhmadi, one of the younger PKK fighters, said.
Ayrin spent 18 months at the frontline in the contact areas of Bashiqa near Mosul. She now fights in Kirkuk. The woman says she decided to take up arms after reading stories of Yazidi women who were kidnapped, enslaved and raped by terrorists.
"I had to make a choice and take up arms in order prevent this from happening again. I do not see the difference between men and women. I can defend my country and my people," Ayrin added.
Ayrin was nearly killed last November when terrorists attacked the female fighters.
"My wounds were serious but the pain of my friend’s death was even worse. I was taken to hospital but after about a month, I returned to the front. I am proud of my beliefs and I will always be proud of my return after being wounded. I urge all men and women to fight until IS is defeated," Ayrin said.
"I HAVE KILLED MANY TERRORISTS"
Mani Leylakhi, 22, also speaks about pride. "We took up arms to be proud of ourselves and be the pride of our families. I am fighting for my country and the Kurds."
"I always participated in fighting against militants. I fired at them and they fired at me. I was not afraid. I do not know the exact number but I have killed many Daesh members. As hours passed we could feel that they were becoming weaker and weaker," she said, enjoying the memory of the victory.
The war has another side too. Once, Mani was within an inch of death when a suicide bomber in a mine-studded car moved toward the female fighters. They opened fire at the ‘jihad mobile’ but her friend’s heroism saved them all, who was killed when she approached the vehicle and threw a mine inside.
