Syrian Kurd self-immolates after daughter recruited by YPJ

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A father from Kobani in Syrian Kurdistan, or Rojava, set himself on fire in front of Democratic Autonomous Administration in Kobani Monday after learning his daughter had joined the YPJ, a local source inside Kobani confirmed to Rudaw.

According to the well-placed source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of risks on his life, the father was 45-year-old Faisal Mustaffa Hecano.

The YPJ is the all-female branch of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militias.

Heccano survived the incident and was rushed to a hospital in the Kurdish border city of Suruc in Turkey

In a separate incident, a Syrian Kurdish refugee set himself on fire on July 1 in front of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) bureau in the city of Sulaimani, reportedly protesting the recruitment of his 15-year-old son by the PYD as a fighter in the YPG and its affilated Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a source told Rudaw.  

According to Rudaw correspondent Walid Abdulrahman, the Syrian refugee from the Kurdish Rojava region lit himself on fire after hours of striking in front of the PYD bureau in Sulaimani. Immediately after the incident, he was transferred to a hospital. Hospital sources told Rudaw he had burns over 23 percent of his body.

“My father set himself on fire when the PYD officials told him that the PYD has transferred my brother to Mount Qandil to be trained by the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK),” Azad Valid Abdulrahman, a son of the victim, told Rudaw.

“We were told that ‘your son is recruited by PKK and PYD has no power to return him,’” he added.