ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Artesh Hassan, a member of the Syrian army's 60th Division, comprising newly integrated fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was killed in a Tuesday attack on a checkpoint south of Qamishli in northeast Syria (Rojava), in what Damascus authorities attributed to "unidentified assailants." His family tells Rudaw he is the “third martyr” they have given for the Kurdish nation's struggle.
“He is not the first martyr from our family, nor the second - he is the third. Because we are doing this for our nation, we have no regrets,” said Samira, Artesh’s sister, to Rudaw’s Viviyan Fetah on Wednesday.
“We are doing this for a free nation and a free people. What we regret is that he was killed due to treason,” she added.
Samira works at the mortuary that receives the bodies of SDF fighters before burial. The institution has taken in over 11,000 fallen members during the war against Islamic State (ISIS). When she received a phone call telling her, “We have two new guests” - a euphemism used for fighters killed on duty - she answered as usual. But this time, her duty brought her face-to-face with her own brother.
“Artesh fought for this cause for many years. He would come and go on duty and never say goodbye. But yesterday [Tuesday], as I was leaving for the mortuary, a car came to pick him up. Artesh was just a few meters away, and he raised his hand to say goodbye. It was his final deployment,” Samira said.
Artesh and his comrade, Shahin Suleiman, were killed in an attack on a checkpoint in the village of Tawil Harb, a predominantly Arab village located around 25 kilometers south of Qamishli city.
In the aftermath Helezwar Mitani, media director for the Syrian army's Eastern Region - commonly referred to as Jazira, covering areas east of the Euphrates River, including parts of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces, as well as the predominantly Kurdish Hasaka province in Rojava - said the assault was launched by "an outlaw group."
"Investigations are ongoing to pursue those involved and take the necessary measures against them," he said, without naming the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, Hasaka's security command attributed the deadly assault to "an outlaw group" that had "attempted to destabilize security, stability, and civil peace in the province."
"As the command mourns the martyrs, it stresses that their blood will not be shed in vain. It affirms that it will continue to pursue those involved in the attack until they are arrested and brought to justice to face legal retribution in accordance with the law," the command added in a statement Wednesday.
The incident comes against the backdrop of protests by Kurds in Rojava’s Qamishli, Hasaka and Kobane cities over attacks on Kurdish families returning to their homes in the city of Sare Kani (Ras al-Ain) on Monday, after around seven years of displacement. The attack took place despite the return of some 400 families being coordinated with Damascus authorities.
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