Syrian Kurdish Peshmerga martyred in Khazir front

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – A Syrian Kurdish Peshmerga fighter lost his life on Sunday in the battle against Islamic State (IS) insurgents in Khazir front, northeast of the IS-stronghold of Mosul.

Qahraman Izzedin Iskan, a 21-year-old Syrian Kurdish fighter, joined the Peshmerga in the Kurdistan Region last year. He was martyred in the village of al-Khatonniya around Khazir while combatting IS.

On Monday, the mourners carrying his coffin crossed into Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) through Faysh Khabur border (also known as Semalka). The Peshmerga will be buried in his hometown of Amuda, Rojava.

Kurdistan24 covered the funeral and talked to the family of the deceased.

“I am proud that my son lost his life on Kurdish land while fighting the enemy of Kurds and humanity,” said Izzedin Iskan, Qahraman's father.

“He was martyred while defending the Greater Kurdistan and the rest of the world,” he added.

A week before his death, Qahraman wrote on his Facebook page, “We are heading to Khazir. Pray for us!”

Rojava Peshmerga makes up thousands of dissident Kurdish soldiers who fled the Syrian Army in the early days of the Syrian civil war to fight IS in the Kurdistan Region.

They have been fighting alongside Peshmerga forces since the beginning of IS’ emergence in 2014.

Subhi Batal, a Syrian Kurdish Peshmerga Colonel, explained to Kurdistan24 in a previous interview why Rojava Peshmerga are not part of the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

“Our main duty is to fight [IS] in Rojava, but unfortunately, political rifts between Syrian Kurdish parties prevent us from taking part in the fighting,” Batal said.

Last week, IS launched a wide range of attacks on Peshmerga front lines in Khazir, but the Kurdish forces repelled the attacks and killed 50 insurgents.

On May 30, Peshmerga forces completed a two-day operation in the east of Mosul where they liberated several villages from IS.

Editing by Ava Homa and Karzan Sulaivany