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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| 2 Syrian rebels die in Turkish airstrike in Manbij | |
| 2016-12-02 | |
[ARA News] Manbij – Michael Israel from California and Anton Leschek from Bielefeld
“Michael and Anton were martyred on November 24 as a result of Turkish airstrikes on western Manbij,” the SDF leadership told ARA News. “The SDF-led Manbij Military Council continues to put up fierce resistance against the occupying Turkish Army and its affiliated terrorists.” Dozens of international volunteers joined the campaign to liberate Manbij city in May, fighting alongside local Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen soldiers. Several of the volunteers were killed fighting Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists in the city’s urban warrens. “In Manbij city, three volunteers from the US, and two others from the UK and Slovenia were martyred alongside their fellow freedom fighters,” the SDF told ARA News. Michael is the fourth American volunteer to die in the ranks of the SDF. “Coming from around the world, it was of great importance to them to cut the transfer route of Daesh terrorists from Manbij to Turkey and then to Europe,” the Manbij Military Council told ARA News, employing an Arabic acronym for ISIS. “For that, they were ready to sacrifice their lives.” Michael Israel was an American, known to his companions by the nom de guerre Robîn Agirî. He joined the SDF in July, declaring that he was “here to protect the peoples’ revolution in Rojava and fight the enemies of the struggle.” Anton Leschek was a German, known to his Kurdish comrades by the nom de guerre Zana Ciwan. Upon joining the SDF, he declared that it is “a true fight in Rojava for me, because here people neither surrender to tyranny nor to terror; I will support this democratic revolution to the end.” Several SDF fighters expressed their grief at the death of Israel and Leschek. “We were taking a small village when we got hit by Turkish jets in the night. Two of my friends, Leschek and Michael, were killed along with many others,” a foreign volunteer explained. Undeterred, the volunteer declared that he was “staying to finish out my six month [tour].” “It’s with a heavy heart that I learned today that heval Michael Israel passed away, fighting ISIS as a volunteer,” another international volunteer said, using a Kurdish word for comrade. “Michael was a man of extremely powerful convictions; an inspiring, idealistic fighter who struggled unlike any other for a better world,” the volunteer continued. “Michael spent his whole life fighting systems of injustice that deny peace, and trekked the states spreading awareness against the Iraq war.” “He conferred his experiences and lessons from both Syria and the states with everyone. He died the very way he lived and his legacy is an example of how a true revolutionary should be. History will exalt him as one of the greatest of our generation,” the volunteer eulogized. Somberly concluding, Michael’s companion said: “He taught me a lot, I’ll never forget him. Rest in power heval.” Video report at the link | |
| Posted by:badanov |