VIDEO: Who are the backstage soldiers of the Raqqa battle?

AIN ISSA, Syrian Kurdistan (Kurdistan24) – Dozens of Syrian women gathered voluntarily to prepare food for their sons and daughters fighting in an offensive to retake the city of Raqqa from the Islamic State (IS), the group said on Saturday.

Kurdistan24 covered the activities of a group of mothers who were preparing dinner for fighters in the Kurdish-held town of Ain Issa. 

The area is a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-controlled town some 70 kilometers/40 miles to the north of Raqqa.

The group of women stated they were doing the same work as the fighters.

“We are fighting, though we are not holding weapons,” a mother said.

Interestingly, most of the mothers have their sons and daughters fighting before them.

“Because they are facing the enemy, we are here to back them,” said Adla Wayso, a woman from the Syrian Kurdish-held town of Kobani who has several sons and daughters among the fighters.

“They are fighting like lions. I am sure they will win the battle,” she continued.

The cooks said their role was not confined to the preparation of food, but their presence beside their children strengthened them for battle.

“We are not only preparing food, but we contribute to boost their fighting morale,” Wayso said.

Sabah Ismail, another woman from Kobani, expressed her pride and pleasure in preparing the food for the fighters.

“We are proud of our fighters and it is our honor to prepare dinner for them,” she stated.

The mothers said they began preparing the food since the first day of the battle, and they would continue their work until the last day of fighting against the IS insurgents.

On Nov. 5, the People’s Protection Units (YPG)-led SDF launched an operation to drive IS from its de facto capital in Syria.

So far, the SDF liberated about 50 villages and controlled the strategic town of Hisha in northern Raqqa after they advanced 25 kilometers (15 miles) toward the city.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany 

(Additional reporting by Ekrem Salih, Kurdistan24 correspondent embedded with the SDF)