Thousands gathered in al-Hasakah, northern Syria on Wednesday for the funeral ceremony of nine members of the Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) anti-terror units, who lost their lives last week in a helicopter accident.
Thousands gathered in Syria’s al-Hasakah (Hesekê) city on Wednesday for the funeral ceremony of nine members of Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) anti-terror units.
The SDF members were killed last week in a helicopter crash that was discovered by authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan. The two helicopters reportedly failed due to bad weather. Among the deceased is the unit’s commander, Shervan Kobani.
The official military ceremony was held in the Serdem Stadium in al-Hasakah, with a funeral procession carrying the bodies on foot from the morgue.
SDF commanders Mazloum Abdi and Newroz Ehmed, Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria (AANES) co-chairs Bêrîvan Xalid and Ebid Hamid el-Mihbaş, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Anti-terror Unit Commander Wehab Helepçî, and Democratic Syrian Assembly Co-chair Emîne Umer attended the ceremony.
The fighters will be laid to rest in their hometowns, Qamishlo, Derik, Kobani and Shehba.
“We, the comrades of the martyrs, are proud of them. All of our people must be proud of their greatness,” Abdi said, addressing the mourners.
Abdi thanked Iraqi Kurdish officials who facilitated transfer for the bodies from Dohuk to al-Hasakah.
“We take the martyrs as a basis for our struggle, and we continue on their path,” Abdi said. “We pledge our people to develop the struggle to a higher level to defend the people and territory of the NES.”