Former British YPJ volunteer says IS fights females more ‘ferociously’

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – A former British volunteer who joined the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) to battle the Islamic State (IS) in Syria said the extremists fight females more “ferociously.”

Kimberly Taylor, 27, joined the Kurdish YPJ, the female faction of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), to fight IS over a year ago.

The British volunteer said the YPJ’s involvement in the war against the militant group was an attack on their mentality.

“By us women being at the front line, it is also a symbolic action against the mindset of [IS],” she said. “They want nothing but oppression.”

“This is why they attack us so ferociously,” the 27-year-old continued. “This is why they do not accept that we are on the front line fighting against them.”

Taylor traveled to Syria in early 2016 to report for a friend’s humanitarian website on the Yezidi (Ezidi) massacre in Sinjar (Shingal) at the hands of IS.

Nearly 500,000 Ezidis were captured, killed, or became refugees after the extremist group besieged Shingal in 2014 in what the UN described as genocide against the minority group.

The British volunteer told the Daily Star she was “torn apart” by the conditions of refugees and displaced people in Syria and Iraq and said she was committed to helping them.

The former volunteer spent over 12 months on the front lines with the YPJ learning Kurdish and was involved in combat.

“I’m willing to give my life for this,” Taylor said. “It’s for the whole world, for humanity and all the oppressed people, everywhere.”

The 27-year-old has since returned to the UK before moving to Sweden to study at Stockholm University.

The YPJ and YPG, backed by the US-led coalition, are spearheading an offensive against IS in Raqqa, the group’s de facto capital and last major stronghold in Syria.

The Kurdish forces have recaptured over 60 percent of territory from the extremist group since launching the operation in June.