Global Research

Eye witnesses spoke to ANF about the suicide attacks the ISIS gangs carried out in Kobanê after crossing into the town from the Turkish side of the border yesterday.

ISIS gangs targeted Kobanê with multiple suicide car attacks using Turkish soil in the Mürşitpınar crossing area along the border with West Kurdistan, Rojava, early yesterday morning. Two ISIS militants carried out suicide attacks at the scene where their bomb-laden vehicles were detonated.

Fierce clashes broke out in the border area as YPG/YPJ (People’s/Women’s Defense Units) fighters strongly responded and repulsed the attacks. ISIS members who went back to the Turkish side, the building of wheat silos of the TMO (soil products office) very close to the border gate, continued to open fire on YPG/YPJ fighters while Turkish soldiers made no intervention as they attacked Kobanê.

Besides the attack from Turkish side, the ISIS gangs also carried out intense attacks from the eastern, southern and western fronts of Kobanê. The attacks were repelled by YPG/YPJ fighters who also blew up two bomb-laden vehicles of the gangs, and destroyed two of the three tanks they used in the onslaught on the southern front.

While the Prime Ministry Directorate General of Press and Information denied reports about the ISIS gangs using Turkish land to attack Kobanê, arguing that these were all fabricated news, statements of eye witnesses, who include civilians and asayesh (security units) members, do entirely contradict the official statement by Turkish authorities.

Witnesses told that the suicide vehicle came form Turkish land, and ISIS members that launched an attack after the explosions came from near the armored vehicles belonging to Turkish security forces. They also pointed out that the Turkish electricity supply was cut along the Kobanê border just before the attacks by ISIS gangs.

Asayesh officer İsmail who witnessed the attacks in Mürşitpınar border crossing area, said the suicide car was detonated at around 5 o’clock Saturday morning, adding that;

“I was at the sentry box at the border gate, together with another friend. The bomb-laden car was detonated soon after crossing swiftly from the border gate. We soon later gathered and moved towards the border gate. There were Turkish armored vehicles across our area and the ISIS members were coming from near them. Battle raged out there between us and the gangs. After bringing a wounded comrade to this side, I got to the top of a building where I saw an ISIS member opening fire from a tree on the Turkish side. I fired back on him and also saw a Turkish armored vehicle entering that area three times and people getting out those vehicles.”

Another asayesh officer Elî who was at his position in Kaniya Kurda region on the borderline at the time of the attack, stated that it was not possible for the gangs to come from that side, and that there was no road in that area. Elî told that; “The electricity was unusually cut along the entire borderline beginning from the Mahser village as of 4 in the morning. There was no power cut in other areas.”

Another asayesh officer Mihemed Heqî who was on the watch when the suicide car was detonated, and also suffered an injury in the attack, told the followings;

“As my turn of duty was near, which is from 4 to 6 am, they were already attacking us with mortars and heavy weapons from the southern front. Not long after I took over the watch, I heard a sound of chain and the sound of our gate being knocked over. When I looked at the direction where the sound came from, I saw a car coming from Turkey’s side crossing the border gate and moving towards us. It turned the first street and detonated soon after crossing into our side. Houses around us were all demolished as we didn’t understand what was happening. The armored vehicles of Turkey were standing right across us. The suicide car came from near them and there were around 50 other ISIS members there.”

Mihemed Heqî gave the following details regarding the suicide car of the ISIS gangs;

“It was a green military vehicle with a heavy weapon installed on it. I saw it as it came from Turkey’s side, crossed the border gate and detonated soon after passing by me. The car came from Turkey side but mortars were being fired from the southern side.”

Another eye witness Doctor Menav Kitkanî who was also on the watch when the attack was carried out told that;

“I was trying to see which area had been hit by their mortars when a vehicle coming from the border gate broke into our side and detonated behind our building. I myself saw the car coming from Turkey’s side.”