Amouda… Details of the Amouda massacre

ARK News… On Sunday 27-6-2021, was the eighth anniversary of the Amouda massacre, which was committed by the YPG-affiliated PYD militants against the citizens of the city of Amouda in Syrian Kurdistan.

PYD gunmen, on June 27, 2013, fired on peaceful demonstrators demanding the release of some of their detainees, which led to the martyrdom of six Kurdish citizens, including the elderly, youth, and children.

The martyrs of the Amouda massacre are:

1. Sheikhmous Ali
2. Barzan Qarnu
3. Nader Khalo
4. Aras Banko
5. Ali Rindi
6. Saied Sayda

Many young men were also wounded by PYD gunmen, and hundreds of the city's residents were arrested.

In this context, and within the initiative of the unity of the position and the Kurdish ranks in Syrian Kurdistan, which the United States of America is working on as a sponsor, and to complement the French initiative between the Kurdish National Council in Syria and the Kurdish National Unity Parties in Syria, and as a step to remove the effects of the policies of the PYD and its militants, a reconciliation committee was assigned by Mazloum Abdi, the commander-in-chief of the SDF, the guarantor of PYNK, between the families of the martyrs of the Amouda massacre and the People's Protection Units (YPG) of the Democratic Union Party last year 2020.

On his part, Mazloum Abdi, the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, announced their acceptance of all the conditions of the families of the martyrs of the Amouda massacre, stressing, "We agreed on all the items reached by the committee to establish peace and consolidate love among our people."

On the seventh anniversary of the Amouda massacre, Nori Mahmoud, the spokesman for the People's Protection Units (YPG) admitted that they had committed the massacre and declared their full responsibility towards the people of Syrian Kurdistan.

Mahmoud said: "We acknowledge the big mistake that claimed innocent lives as a result of the collision of one of our military units, which was on the way back from the front, and demonstrators who gathered for the release of youth activists detained by the Asayish."

The families of the martyrs of the dignity of Amouda issued their statement, announcing their three conditions for peace (the trial of the political leaders of the PYD party at the time who took the decision and punishing them, the trial of the military leaders of the units at the time who carried out the crime and their punishment, the official and public apology in the media (read, audio, and video) to the people of Amouda in general and their martyr's families in particular.

However, an official in the Syrian Democratic Forces came out the day after the martyrs’ families’ statement to turn against Mazloum Kobani’s initiative, declaring, “The demonstrators were following foreign agendas, and they are currently languishing in Turkey.”

Rezan Killo, a civil affairs advisor in the Syrian Democratic Forces, said: "We in the Killo family, and since the first day, our vision of the issue is clear, and we know that what happened in Amouda is sedition by external parties. Our forces were coming from Hasaka Dam after its liberation from the hands of mercenaries, and after the success of the operation to liberate the dam.".

He added, "After their return to their military unit and their stationing point in Qamishlo through Amouda town, armed groups attacked the liberating forces of the dam, as the armed groups took advantage of what Amouda witnessed in those moments of the people of the town leaving in activities demanding the release of some activists."

He added: "Isa Killo (the nickname: Sabri Killo) from the sons of his family lost his life in that attack that was launched against the forces coming from Hasaka in the Amouda town, saying, "We confirm that (Isa) lost his life in Amouda town, I was personally one of the first to reach his body, and we confirm that the incident occurred at the hands of armed groups linked to foreign parties and Turkey, and those who committed these actions did so in order to create sedition, and those who did it are now sitting in the lap of Turkey, as everyone knows.

Contrasting statements by officials in the Syrian Democratic Forces confirm what analysts have said was a coup against the "Kobani" initiative for reconciliation between the families of the martyrs of the Amouda massacre and the People's Protection Units of the PYD that carried out the massacre.

Eight years have passed since the massacre, and the criminals and murderers are still free without accountability and punishment, while the families of the martyrs are looking for redress and justice.

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