Raqqa Civil Council Co-Chair Layla Mustafa passed away from cancer at 35

NORTH AND EAST SYRIA — Layla Mustafa, the first Co-Chair of the Raqqa Civil Council after the city’s liberation from the Islamic State (ISIS), has died of cancer at 35. She was hailed for her energy and commitment to rebuilding Raqqa.

In a statement made via social media platform X, formerly Twitter, General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi said that Mustafa was “a symbol of a free and ambitious woman” and expressed the SDF’s condolences to her family.

Mustafa was honored with the World Mayor Jury Award in 2021.

The community has lost a great leader and symbol of equality and humanity, said Abdi.

With great sadness, we bid farewell to Eng. Layla Mustafa, first co-chair of Raqqa Civil Council, who led the city's reconstruction after ISIS defeat.
The deceased was a symbol of a free and ambitious woman. She struggled to establish the AANES system and led the rehabilitation…

— Mazloum Abdî مظلوم عبدي (@MazloumAbdi) November 25, 2023