Syriac Military Council fighters: We will defend Qabre Hewore and Qamishli against Turkish attack

QABRE HEWORE, North Syria – Akad Qamishlo, a fighter with the Syriac Military Council (MFS) in Qabre Hewore (al-Qahtaniyah), a town along the border with Turkey east of Qamishli, declared the MFS’s readiness to defend against any Turkish attack. “We, as Syriac forces, are present in all regions to protect our people, as we have taken it upon ourselves to confront all attacks of Turkish and their factions on Qabre Hewore and the villages of Tal Djihane, Rotan, and Shalhoumia,” said Qamishlo. “These are Syriac villages and our Syriac people inhabit them, we must protect them from any brutal aggression.”

“We will remain here in our land and will not leave it,” he continued. “We wish all our young people who value our land to stay here and defend it.”

Matai Qamishlo, a fighter with MFS in Qamishli, expressed a similar sentiment. “Our forces are ready to face any Turkish attack, and they are spread in all areas of Qamishli and Qabre Hewore,” he said, adding that, “The [MFS] protects all civilians from all peoples, not only the Syriac component. It is our duty as the Syriac Military Council to protect the land of our ancestors, and to expel any occupier who covets this land.”

Matai Qamishlo concluded by expressing his desire for more Syriac youth to stay in the region and to take up arms to protect it. “We hope our young people will stand with us side by side to protect our land and dignity,” he said. “We must maintain our presence as a basic component in the region.”