: *Syria war: Outcry over
'mutilated' female Kurdish fighter*
Kurds in Syria have reacted
furiously to videos showing Turkish-backed rebels abusing the body of a female
Kurdish fighter killed in battle. Barin Kobani was part of all-female unit
challenging a Turkish-led offensive in north-west Syria. Kurdish officials
accused fighters allied with Turkey of "playing with her corpse" and
mutilating it. Last month, Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels launched a
campaign to capture the Kurdish-held Afrin region.
Barin Kobani was killed during
fighting earlier this week in the northern part of the region, reports say. She
was in her mid-20s, and joined the Kurdish all-female unit known as the YPJ in
2015. The group is part of the YPG (People's Protection Units), seen by Turkey
as a terrorist group and an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party
(PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in south-eastern Turkey for three
decades.
Two videos emerged earlier this
week, and the woman was soon identified as Barin Kobani. The footage shows a
group of rebels standing around the bloodied body of a woman lying on the
ground. Parts of her torso appear to have been cut. "We hold the Turkish
government responsible for this heinous act," Kurdish-led authorities
said. One unconfirmed report claimed she had been captured alive before being
killed. Turkey has not publicly commented on the issue.
