Coalition General praises local Syrian Kurdish leader on anniversary of killing

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A US-led Coalition General on Friday praised Omar Alloush, a senior Kurdish official who was assassinated one year ago, during a commemoration ceremony in Syria’s Ain Issa.

Many senior tribal leaders, local politicians and military officials, and a delegation from the US-led Coalition against the Islamic State attended the ceremony in remembrance of Alloush.

On March 15, 2018, the senior Kurdish official, who played a key role in leading stabilization efforts in Raqqa, was assassinated in his home in Tal Abyad. Top Kurdish officials blamed Turkey for his murder. 

“I have only been in Syria for six months, but before I came, I heard of Omar Alloush,” British Brigadier General Nicholas Pond said during his speech. “I heard of the work he did for peace and democracy and bringing communities together.”

Pond noted that he was familiar with Alloush’s achievements in northeast Syria, particularly in Raqqa, and said he was “privileged” to meet and work with some of the people Alloush worked with.

“The selection of communities within this gathering today are a legacy of his work to bring people together.”

Ilham Ahmed, the president of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), said Alloush put lots of effort to organize local councils in Tal Abyad, Manbij, and Raqqa.

“In every centimeter of the territories liberated [from the Islamic State], he left a great impact,” Ahmed said.

“He brought us from the chaotic ISIS terrorist phase to the phase of peace, democracy, and coexistence.”

Salih Muslim, the former co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), thanked the US-led coalition for their attendance and expressed hope for “happy days” in the future.

Alloush worked in close coordination with the US-led coalition; the former PYD co-chair said, “so it’s good to see them [here].”

Muslim told Kurdistan 24 he had worked with Alloush since his childhood, highlighting his kindness and dedication to humanitarian values.

The Kurdish leader also said he called on Alloush to mediate between Arabs and Kurds in Kobani during the height of a crisis in 2012.

“Since then, he came to participate in all the work until he was martyred last year,” Muslim continued, adding he was “a good defender of humanitarian values of the people.”

Muslim vowed that the local administration would continue “his work, and will do our best to protect what he was defending.”

“The enemies of humanity will try to do everything, but we will try to be aware and be careful.”

Ibrahim Hassan, who leads reconstruction efforts in Raqqa, and who was himself almost assassinated on Jan. 11, 2018, described Alloush as the solution for all the problems in Syria’s northeast.

“He was an example for us for the political and administrative work,” Hassan stated. “He was a brother, friend, and comrade.”

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany