The YPJ (Women’s Protection Units) is the all-female brigade of the YPG, the armed forces of the Syrian region of Kurdistan, known as Rojava. Estimates from various monitors of the number of Kurdish women fighting in Syria run as high as 10,000.

The YPJ have been instrumental in the battle to take back control of Kobani from ISIS. Mayssa Abdo, a 40 year old Kurdish woman from the Afrin region of Aleppo province was the co-leader of of the Kurdish forces in Kobane.

Abdo herself has stated, “a great resistance is taking place in Kobani.” “We can say that the Kobani resistance is in particular a women’s resistance,” she told Kurdish news outlet, The Rojava Report.

She explained that I.S. is relying on “heavy weapons” like tanks and artillery fire, but in the slim streets of Kobani YPG/YPJ fighters have fought back “with ambushes and traps, creative defense tactics and a sacrificial determination.”

Watch documentary produced by 60 Minutes Australia about the YPJ. There is actual battle footage showing YPJ at the frontlines battling ISIS.

Watch another great documentary produced by RT about YPJ. The documentary follows lives of YPJ recruits as they complete their military training. The documentary is beautifully shot.

Notes:

All information on this blog entry taken from article published by Telesur.