ALEPPO
“Umm al-Mumineen Aisha” Unit, established in June and made up entirely of women fighters, has begun entering engagement areas along with Free Syrian Army (FSA) soldiers.
Ten women out of the 13-strong unit are teachers in civilian life, while the other three are students. Aged between 17 and 35, they take their part in close combat.
The commanding officer, Ummu Amr (her code name), is 35 years old and has two children. Her spouse sells electronic goods downtown. Ummu Amr says she ended up in the battlefield while trying to help the orphaned children of opposition fighters killed during clashes in Aleppo.
“Being a woman fighter is hard in and of itself; women are kept away from such things in our culture,” Amr says. “As the fight rages on in the streets, learning how to use a gun and actually using it have become a necessity to survive.”
It’s not only about fighting, she says, but so they can protect their homes and children whenever necessary from dangers lurking outside.
“War has been going on for so long now and it has become a part of daily life. We, as women, are trying to do our share to help. I have never killed anyone in my life, but when I’m shot at, I shoot back.”
- Fighting ‘a must’
Before taking up arms, women fighters are first brought to Salah ad-Din region to get used to the sound of artillery fire.
Following their physical and military training, they go into engagement areas in evacuated neighborhoods, running around rubbles and blanket walls in narrow streets to escape sniper fire.
As snipers have a broader view in main streets and avenues, women fighters use holes that FSA soldiers opened through houses. When men rest, they go ahead and take their place on guard at front lines, sometimes as close as 15 meters from the enemy trenches. Whenever gunfire comes their way, they reciprocate.
Fatma (her code name), 24, says she was an English teacher before the civil war. She lost loved ones and her life completely changed when the war broke out.
“Fighting really baffles me as a lady. I was teaching before the war, but now I have to fight. Fighting is not a choice for me; it’s a must.”
Women are very prudent fighters and are quite talented as snipers, FSA soldiers say. Some men feel uncomfortable because there are women among them, they add, but seeing their determination, they have come to terms with the idea of women fighters in the battlefield.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
