The Women’s Defense Units (YPJ) published the identity details of commander Sîdar Efrîn, who fell a martyr on 18 January while fighting HTS–ISIS gangs in Tabqa, saying that “Sîdar Efrîn is a symbol of the struggle of the working and fighting woman.”
The YPJ Press Center released a statement announcing the identity details of Commander Sîdar Efrîn.
The YPJ statement said: “The reality of our martyrs is the most vivid expression of our struggle. Our martyrs sacrificed their lives with a noble and selfless spirit to protect their people. This sacred spirit fighting on the frontlines defended the honor of its people with great determination against all kinds of attacks by the regime.
When the HTS–ISIS gangs affiliated with Damascus recklessly attacked Tabqa, our commander Sîdar Efrîn fought to the very end against the actions of the gang groups and was martyred on 18 January.”
The statement added: “Our comrade and commander Sîdar Efrîn (Leyla Hemo) was born in 1980 in Efrîn into a patriotic family. Because her family embraced the freedom movement, our comrade Sîdar embarked on a search for a free life in order to become a revolutionary for the freedom of her people, and in 1997 she began the freedom struggle among many revolutionary activities. At the beginning of the Rojava Revolution, she actively participated in efforts to organize the people and displayed unparalleled dedication in the field of defense. She also took part on the frontlines during the campaigns to liberate Rojava. Fighting against ISIS in Rojava, comrade Sîdar possessed a high level of determination to protect humanity from this global scourge.”
The statement continued: “As a woman commander, she deepened herself in the values of free women and rose to a high duty and mission based on the leadership understanding of the time. Comrade Sîdar served her people on the path of freedom with loyalty, sacrifice, and success. She upheld her duties under the most difficult conditions and circumstances. She fought for the freedom of the people and of women. She developed her personality in every area of life based on the values of the ideology of women’s freedom and became an exemplary commander within the ranks of the YPJ. In every aspect of her life, she fought for freedom with humility and great enthusiasm. Among her fighters, as a commander of her time, she stood by them in every area of life and approached her responsibilities with a high sense of duty. Until the moment of her martyrdom, her morale, enthusiasm, and passion were a source of confidence and strength for her fighters. Commander Sîdar remained loyal to comradeship to the very end, and therefore held a special place among her comrades. This attitude brought all her comrades together around her. Comrade Sîdar is a symbol of the sincerity, courage, and determination of Kurdish women.”
The statement revealed that “when the gang groups attacked Tabqa, our commander Sîdar Efrîn fought on the frontlines to protect the gains of her people and made her body a shield to prevent the gangs from advancing.
We extend our condolences to the honorable family of Martyr Commander Sîdar Efrîn and to all our patriotic people. The aim of our martyrs is to build a free life and to protect the achievements of the revolution. As the comrades of the martyrs, we will continue to struggle until our last breath to achieve the goals of the freedom martyrs and to secure a lasting victory.”
The martyr’s identity details are as follows:
Code name: Sîdar Efrîn
Full name: Leyla Hemo
Mother’s name: Zeynep
Father’s name: Şûkrî
Place and date of martyrdom: 18.01.2026