The Internal Security Forces Command announced the identities of five of its members who carried out a self-sacrifice action while resisting the occupation attacks launched by Turkish state–backed armed groups operating under the Syrian Transitional Government against the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud (Şêxmeqsud) and Ashrafieh (Eşrefiyê) in Aleppo.
The statement continued as follows:
“We commemorate the martyrs of the resistance, Denîz Çiya, Hawar Qendil, Rojbin Hesekê, Dilbirîn Qamişlo, and Feraşîn Efrîn, who reached martyrdom by resisting with self-sacrifice in the struggles centered in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, and we bow with respect before their unparalleled struggle. We extend our condolences to the families of the heroes, first and foremost Abdullah Öcalan, the architect of freedom, and to all our patriotic people. From 6 January onward, with the approval of hegemonic powers, gangs affiliated with the occupying Turkish state and the HTS Interim Government launched an inhumane assault based on a genocidal concept. Every kind of air and ground weapon was used against two small neighborhoods. In the face of these attacks, our commanders and fighters made no concessions from the very first day and resisted. In this war of honor, the contemporary self-sacrificing resistance fighter Denîz, Hawar, Rojbin, Dilbirîn, and Feraşîn took their places on the front lines with a determination for victory. Through their memory and faith, transformed into a will for retribution, they delivered a powerful response to the special war and genocidal policies waged by the gangs of the occupying state against the Kurdish people and all components. They joined the war of honor with great morale, enthusiasm, and determination, and through their stance they built a deep sense of collective spirit among the people. With very limited means and only individual weapons, they led the people of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, repelling many attacks by the gangs through various actions. Inch by inch, in these neighborhoods, they became the shield of thousands of years of resistance and defeated the occupying enemy with the philosophy of Women, Life, Freedom (Jin Jiyan Azadi).
Confronted with the power of this people embodied in its vanguard fighters and commanders, the occupying enemy, posing a grave danger to the world through a jihadist mindset, resorted to every form of inhumane practice after realizing that it could not withstand the Egîds and Arîns of this people. Alongside ground and aerial armor, thousands of gang members devoid of any sense of humanity or the ethics of war have attacked the honor of these people with toxic gas and all manner of methods. Although these gangs surrounded the fighters and resistance members, our contemporary commanders never abandoned their stance of resistance and defended the values of their people until their final moments.”
Commander of the self-sacrificing resistance fighter group, Hawar Qendil:
Hawar Qendil became a source of morale for all comrades through his high motivation, grounded in the invincible philosophy of Abdullah Öcalan, from the outset of the war. With this spirit, all comrades took their places in the struggle with great determination and courage. Acting in line with a mobile warfare strategy, Commander Hawar positioned his comrades accordingly. Each fighter established an unbreakable position on every front. Hawar’s determination became the determination of the entire group. Following an intense clash, Commander Hawar was wounded. When the contemporary self-sacrificing resistance fighter saw that, despite being injured, he did not abandon his position or his comrades, Denîz assumed command and continued fighting with the group in accordance with the course of the battle. During the clashes, he reported to the war coordination unit and carried out the given instructions. As the fighting intensified and positions came under heavy pressure, Commander Denîz conveyed the following historic words to the war coordination:
“The jihadist-minded enemy, which poses a grave danger to the entire world and to the peoples of the region, especially to women, has surrounded us with heavy tanks. They are attacking us in very large numbers. Until now, we have resisted using many different methods, but we are now using our ammunition carefully so that it does not run out. All our comrades and our people must know that no matter what happens, we will fight until our last breath. Calls for surrender are being made, but just as Zarîfe and Besê leapt from the cliffs of Dersim, and just as the Rindêxans lost their lives at the Malabadi Bridge and thus built life itself, we will never take a step back from resistance. Each of us now carries a bomb. If our ammunition is exhausted, all five of us comrades are ready to carry out a self-sacrificing resistance fighter action against the enemy that wages every form of attack against our comrades and our people. No matter what, there is nothing more important than protecting the honor of our people. Those who cannot risk death, when necessary, cannot become the breath of a free life.”
Identities of the martyrs who became a legacy of free life;
Martyr Deniz
Commander Denîz Çiya was originally from Afrin, though she was born in Damascus. She grew up shaped by Afrin’s patriotic culture, within a family deeply attached to the values of its society and its land. Her character was formed by the beauty and diversity of Afrin. From early childhood, she was raised with a strong moral and political culture. As the only child of her family, she grew up surrounded by great affection. Possessing a powerful personality that left an impact in every environment she entered, she was also an intelligent student who deepened her understanding of women’s and social sociology. At a young age, she became acquainted with the cause of the Kurdish people and the realities of the region, integrating herself with the ideas of Abdullah Öcalan. The occupation attacks targeting Afrin, Ras al-Ayn (Serêkaniyê), Shahba, and Manbij awakened in her a deep sense of anger and resistance. With the aim of becoming a free woman who would lead her society, Commander Denîz joined the ranks of the struggle in 2024 and made remarkable progress in a very short time. Woman, nature, and the universe became the language of life through her. For this reason, she profoundly embraced the life constructed by Abdullah Öcalan and set herself the goal of building a socialist consciousness capable of responding to all the problems experienced in the region and across the Middle East.
Commander Hawar
Commander Hawar Qendîl was born in Kobane. He witnessed the revolution during his childhood and encountered at an early age the harsh reality faced by people deprived of identity. He grew up in a working-class and patriotic family. Through the labor he devoted wherever he was present, he earned deep respect and affection. Coming face to face many times with the brutality of ISIS gangs, he vowed to resist all occupation attacks. This working-class personality, who encountered the realities of life at a young age, gradually evolved into a determined, authoritative, and self-sacrificing commander, assuming a pioneering role wherever he was. Even before formally joining the ranks of the struggle, he took part in many revolutionary activities. Following the occupation attacks against Shahba and Manbij, he made a singular decision to struggle and joined the ranks in 2024. His creative tactical understanding and strong commitment to social values generated a powerful source of morale around him. It was often said that “where Hawar is, there is no defeat,” because his very presence embodied a personality capable of offering solutions to every challenge.
Rojbîn Amara
Self-sacrificing resistance fighter Rojbîn Amara was born in Heseke (Hesekê). She grew up in a patriotic family belonging to the Sorkî tribe, deeply rooted in its ancestral culture. With the Rojava Revolution, she became acquainted with the ideas of Abdullah Öcalan. To defend the revolution built on these ideas, she joined the ranks of the struggle in 2025. She shaped her personality around Abdullah Öcalan’s thoughts on women’s freedom and took part in all ideological and military activities with great enthusiasm. As she delved deeper into history, her anger toward the enemies of the Kurdish people intensified. Building her character on an awareness of knowing the enemy, she became a pioneer of a meaningful life through her courageous and self-confident stance.
Dilbirîn Qamishlo
Self-sacrificing resistance fighter Dilbirîn Qamishlo was born in Dirbesiye. She came from the Omeriye tribe, known for its struggles against a brutal enemy, and grew up in a family environment deeply attached to its traditions. During her childhood, she became familiar with the reality of heroic martyrs, an experience that left a profound mark on her character. She placed her modest and pure-hearted nature at the center of her life. Her dream was that all components of North and East Syria could live together in a shared and equal life, free from the daily fear of being killed. With the aspiration of a free and equal life, she joined the ranks of the struggle in 2025 to understand and carry forward the socialism articulated by Abdullah Öcalan. She was so deeply connected to life that, through her comradeship, life itself became more beautiful in all its forms.
Feraşîn Efrîn
Self-sacrificing fighter Feraşîn Efrîn was born in Afrin (Efrîn). She grew up shaped by Afrin’s popular patriotic culture. From early childhood, her inquisitive nature led her to develop herself in artistic and literary fields. The maturity she displayed at a young age enabled her to become a natural leader among her peers even in childhood. With her warm smile and enthusiasm, she consistently created a strong atmosphere of solidarity around her. Through her intelligence and awareness, she advanced rapidly in the realm of ideas. She refused to accept an ordinary and dishonorable life within society. Determined to uphold social values and the legacy of revolutionary martyrs, she joined the ranks of the struggle in 2025. Even within the ranks, she could not be confined to narrow boundaries; her quicksilver personality remained constantly active through the ideas of Abdullah Öcalan. She demonstrated significant progress in both the military and ideological spheres in a short time. As a woman, she sought to recognize her own reality and to build life with her own hands. Clarifying the bond between woman and life further sharpened her thinking. As her convictions became clearer, her decision to struggle transformed her into a pioneering figure at the very front lines, strengthening the belief in victory in the hearts of her comrades.
Under the leadership of Commander Denîz, commanders Hawar, Rojbîn, Dilbirîn, and Feraşîn carried out their self-sacrifice actions on 10 January 2026. The occupying gangs subjected the bodies of our martyrs to inhumane treatment.
Throughout the history of the Kurdish people’s struggle, many resistance fighters have previously been captured and martyred; through these same inhumane methods, the perpetrators sought to break the honor of the Kurdish people and the peoples of the region. When they saw that the vanguard of this singular struggle was Denîz Çiya, an uncompromising woman, and that day after day the two small neighborhoods under her command were not allowed to fall into the hands of this bloodthirsty enemy, they acted with blind hatred and fury, throwing our commander from the house where she carried out her action, devoid of any sense of human morality.
Through this act, they sought to shatter the honor of a woman fighter and of the resistance itself. Yet our commander created life through her death; by defending the honor of her people, she delivered an uncompromising response to the bloody occupying enemy.
We commemorate with gratitude and respect the commanders and self-sacrificing fighters of this cause, Denîz, Hawar, Rojbîn, Dilbirîn, and Feraşîn.
Code name: Denîz Çiya
Full name: Zeyneb Kirdelî
Mother’s name: Emîne
Father’s name: Emîn
Place and date of martyrdom: 10 January 2026 – Sheikh Maqsoud, Aleppo
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Code name: Hawar Qendîl
Full name: Dawud Mihemed
Mother’s name: Xanim
Father’s name: Emîn
Place and date of martyrdom: 10 January 2026 – Sheikh Maqsoud, Aleppo
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Code name: Rojbîn Amara
Full name: Wîdad Mamo
Mother’s name: Delal
Father’s name: Burhan
Place and date of martyrdom: 10 January 2026 – Sheikh Maqsoud, Aleppo
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Code name: Dilbirîn Qamişlo
Full name: Rojkar Nuhî
Mother’s name: Seher
Father’s name: Asim
Place and date of martyrdom: 10 January 2026 – Sheikh Maqsoud, Aleppo
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Code name: Feraşîn Efrîn
Full name: Meryem Horo
Mother’s name: Şêrîn
Father’s name: Mihemed
Place and date of martyrdom: 10 January 2026 – Sheikh Maqsoud, Aleppo