SÎLVA AL-ÎBRAHÎM

Manbij- ISIS occupied the city of Manbij, North and East Syria, in 2014. On June 1, 2016, the Manbij Military Council launched a military campaign to liberate Manbij and on August 15, 2016, the city was liberated from ISIS.

August 15 is the anniversary of the liberation of Manbij. NuJINHA spoke to Munfiyeh Al-Abdullah, whose son, daughter-in-law and her unborn grandchild were killed by ISIS in Manbij.

After ISIS took control of the city, they tried to get support from the people by claiming that their aim was to spread Islam. “In a short time, everyone understood that their aim was not to spread Islam. Their practices and methods revealed the truth. They spread fear and terror in our souls and oppressed us. They brutally killed those who did not accept their ideology,” said Munfiyeh Al-Abdullah, who is from Manbij’s Cab Mahzum village.

 ‘We felt like we were in a dream’

When Munfiyeh Al-Abdullah and the people of Manbij heard about the military campaign launched by the Manbij Military Council to liberate Manbij, they felt very happy. “We felt like we were in a dream, being afraid of waking up. We were happy because our city would be liberated.” However, their happiness lasted short because ISIS members raided their village.

“It was at four in the morning. My brother realized the activities in the village. Just then, ISIS members raided our house. They had placed a big weapon in front of the house and hid in our house. When I ran into the kitchen, one of them shouted at me and pushed me into the house. When I was entering my room, I saw my brother from the window. He asked me who was inside the house. I told him no one was inside the house and he should go away. But he understood that some people were inside our house. One of ISIS members climbed to the roof and threatened to kill all the villagers. When he tried to kill me, my son entered to protect me. However, my son was killed while trying to protect me. When my daughter-in-law took up the gun of my son, ISIS members killed her. She was pregnant. Then, the members of the Manbij Military Council arrived in the village. The clashes between the Manbij Military Council and ISIS lasted until morning. They liberated our village from ISIS.

“We are, of course, happy on the anniversary of the liberation of our city but I still feel the pain of losing my children. We hope ISIS members will be prosecuted soon for their crimes against our people.”