500:
113:
89:
595:, as well as her deceased comrade Arin Mirkan. Felat has been described as talented military leader, though she herself has simply said that she is "good at strategy". In regard to the military capabilities of the female fighters under her command, Felat has commented that "Often, in military matters, people look down on women with condescension, claiming we're too delicate, that we wouldn't dare carry a knife or a gun. But you can see for yourself that in the YPJ we can operate a
69:
101:
30:
428:
also wounded. The rest of her squad eventually returned to civilian life, and only Felat continued to be active in the military. When the YPG/YPJ launched a counter-offensive to drive ISIL from the countryside surrounding Kobanî in early 2015, Felat was first given command of 45 fighters, and then 300. From that point on, she rose to become one of the YPG/YPJ's most important commanders.
427:
on an ISIL tank. Despite the bitter resistance of the YPG/YPJ, the hill eventually fell to ISIL, whereupon Felat and her squad retreated further into Kobanî. By the time the siege was broken in
January 2015, Felat had been wounded by shrapnel, and five of her subordinates killed while two others were
614:
Felat comes from a poor farming family, and several of her relatives were victims of ISIL, further motivating her to fight against the
Jihadist organization: Besides 22 of her family members who were killed in an ISIL bombing in al-Hasakah, her younger brother Mezul was killed by a roadside bomb
523:
along with YPG and US officials. In
October 2017, Felat commanded a contingent of SDF fighters who successfully captured Raqqa. Felat and others were pictured waving SDF flags in the former Islamic State capital city's iconic al-Naim square after SDF forces declared victory in the
1102:
484:, which commenced on 10 December and during which Felat served as leading commander for the YPJ units involved. In the subsequent phases during the campaign to capture Raqqa, Felat continued to serve as one of the most important YPJ commanders, and took part in the
560:'s revolutionary ideology and self-identifies as radical feminist, fighting for social reforms in Syria that would improve the rights and lives of women of all ethnicities. Among her personal heroes are the Polish-German radical Communist
475:
to capture Raqqa, with Felat in overall charge of the operations in the northern Raqqa countryside. This time, the troops under Felat's command succeeded in capturing their objectives, whereupon the attention of the SDF shifted to the
528:. At the occasion, she noted that "her heart was jumping for joy" as the YPG/YPJ leadership had believed that the battle for the city would be "much more difficult" than it had been. By late 2018, Felat was taking part in the
555:
Felat is a strong adherent of the YPG/YPJ. She has decided to never marry or have children, and instead intends to serve in the military for the rest of her life. A nonpracticing Muslim, she is a follower of
893:"Profil - Rojda Felat. Kommandeurin der Offensive gegen den IS in Raqqa und Bismarck-Fan. [Profile - Rojda Felat. Commander of the offensive against the IS in Raqqa and Bismarck-Fan]"
925:
753:
277:
As Rojda Felat has disclosed relatively little about her life, her biography before taking up arms is largely unknown; even her age and birthplace are disputed. Because of that,
1051:
965:
1406:
464:, while commanding 15,000 fighters. Her forces captured 23 villages, though in the end the offensive stalled, as the SDF redeployed its fighters for the more successful
1318:
260:
through the YPJ, "liberating the
Kurdish woman and the Syrian woman in general from the ties and control of traditional society, as well as liberating the entirety of
1117:
599:, we know how to use mortars and we can conduct demining operations." She also praised the suicide attack of Zuluh Hemo (a.k.a. "Avesta Habur") against the
329:
1342:
1236:
529:
74:
1328:
933:
516:
504:
468:, in which Felat also took part. Sometime in mid 2016, an ISIL bombing at a wedding in al-Hasakah killed 22 of her family members and relatives.
333:
1022:
385:
155:
1211:
341:
1167:"Turkey bombs US partner group; Afghanistan's ISIS is losing recruits; Shows-of-force in Korea; F-35s in Estonia; and just a bit more..."
1143:
847:
481:
1436:
1461:
324:
Due to her family's poverty, Felat was only able to attend a university relatively late in her life. By 2011, she was studying
1446:
1292:
348:
in 2011, however, she decided to leave
Hasakah University and return to her hometown Qamishli, where she quickly joined the
1121:
401:
249:
219:
1466:
1431:
1264:
604:
453:
192:
800:
1456:
1103:"قوات سوريا الديمقراطية تتقدم نحو الطبقة وتسيطر على 12 قرية ومزرعة وترفع عدد قتلى تنظيم "الدولة الإسلامية" إلى نحو 80"
1421:
990:
309:, while others claim that Felat was born in 1962, 1966 or 1968, with one media agency even saying that she is from
1441:
472:
349:
202:
1352:
1076:
1451:
1401:
1166:
449:
441:
353:
187:
177:
117:
754:"Geheimnisvolle Kurden-Kommandantin jagt den IS [Mysterious Kurdish commander is hunting the IS]"
565:
409:
237:
105:
1411:
718:
1416:
336:, Felat claims that she had intended to eventually attend the national military academy and become a
1374:
544:
405:
374:
241:
93:
892:
1426:
525:
508:
485:
212:
207:
52:
1189:
896:
656:
607:, saying that her sacrifice prevented Turkish forces from "shelling children and civilians in
499:
660:, Felat joined the YPG/YPJ around 2013. This was contradicted by a later interview she gave
1052:"The revolutionary women of the YPJ lead fight for liberation on International Women's Day"
796:
600:
445:
182:
8:
543:, declaring that the war against ISIL was continuing while stressing the importance of
557:
393:
160:
1347:
1296:
1269:
1241:
994:
584:
325:
164:
289:
in late 2017, Felat was born around 1977 as the child of a poor farming family near
465:
413:
389:
370:
283:
went so far as to describe her as "mysterious". According to an interview she gave
197:
149:
569:
419:
Her unit took part in the Battle for
Mishtanour Hill, where she fought alongside
369:
With the uprising escalating into a civil war, Felat received just a few days of
345:
245:
723:
662:
561:
424:
310:
301:
and other SDF officials putting her birthdate at 1980 and/or her birthplace at
285:
233:
1395:
1144:"Wrath of Euphrates Operations Room, commandant Rojda Felat, Northern Raqqa"
1237:"Rojda Felat: by women's leadership, historic victory achieved in al-Raqqa"
608:
520:
381:
1212:"Isil's caliphate 'capital' in Raqqa falls after last jihadists surrender"
573:
420:
337:
257:
305:. Many reports by other media agencies have repeated the information of
248:
since it began in 2012, and has led several major campaigns against the
1323:
1080:
929:
577:
493:
437:
302:
751:
1293:"Rojda Felat: History will write about the women who fought in Raqqa"
852:
650:
533:
532:
which aimed at defeating the last ISIL holdouts in Syria east of the
489:
477:
926:"Meet the Kurdish woman leading battle against IS in northern Syria"
397:
293:. Various other claims regarding her origins have circulated on the
1321:[Rojda Felat: The woman who defeated the "Islamic State"].
758:
588:
378:
317:. This last claim was denied by a close associate of her, who told
294:
290:
279:
253:
48:
29:
966:"Kurdish woman fight double battles against terrorism, patriarchy"
592:
431:
256:, Felat's stated goal is to achieve social transformation in the
1190:"Forces battling ISIS in their Raqqa stronghold declare victory"
480:
and surrounding areas. These were targeted in the course of the
314:
1118:"Kurdish female fighters playing key role in battle for Raqqa"
1319:"Rojda Felat: Die Frau, die den "Islamischen Staat" besiegte"
1077:"Syria Kurd women fighters out for revenge against jihadists"
461:
261:
56:
991:"Raqqa will soon be encircled from four fronts: Rojda Felat"
580:, saying that "the capitalist system views us as objects".
596:
540:
503:
Felat (right) with YPG and US officials at the site of the
1164:
539:
In early
October 2019, Felat took part in a conference in
752:
Christian
Kreutzer; Özkan Canel Altintop (26 May 2016).
666:, according to which she already joined the YPG in 2011.
848:"Revolutionary Kurdish feminist leads assault on Raqqa"
364:
1343:"Rojda Felat calls on women to follow martyr Avista"
1187:
795:
801:"Rojda Felat, female commander who led Raqa battle"
1407:Kurdish female military and paramilitary personnel
890:
611:" and urged other women to follow Hemo's example.
1393:
1045:
1043:
841:
747:
745:
743:
741:
839:
837:
835:
833:
831:
829:
827:
825:
823:
821:
712:
710:
708:
706:
704:
702:
373:before she was issued a weapon. As part of the
1165:Ben Watson; Bradley Peniston (25 April 2017).
1020:
1016:
1014:
1012:
700:
698:
696:
694:
692:
690:
688:
686:
684:
682:
515:On 25 April 2017, Felat visited the site of a
432:Operations in eastern Syria and Raqqa campaign
412:(YPJ), Felat commanded a small, lightly armed
1040:
963:
923:
738:
716:
1049:
818:
388:. Around late 2014, however, she was in the
1327:(in German). 18 August 2017. Archived from
1209:
1009:
845:
791:
789:
787:
785:
783:
781:
779:
777:
679:
392:and among the YPG/YPJ forces that ended up
1115:
1071:
1069:
1023:"Rojda Felat: The feminist taking on Isis"
28:
1265:"Rojda Felat: War against ISIS continues"
959:
957:
955:
953:
951:
583:As a military leader, she is inspired by
386:al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (2012–13)
165:
156:Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (2012–13)
1188:The Associated Press (17 October 2017).
886:
884:
882:
880:
878:
876:
874:
872:
870:
774:
498:
416:of eleven other women during the siege.
297:, however, with the Turkish news agency
1066:
985:
983:
321:that she was definitely a Syrian Kurd.
1394:
948:
919:
917:
915:
913:
891:Moritz Baumstieger (9 November 2016).
1105:. Syrian Observatory on Human rights.
867:
644:
642:
640:
980:
623:She is portrayed in the documentary
615:while serving with the YPG in 2013.
402:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
250:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
910:
605:Turkish military operation in Afrin
471:In November 2016, the SDF launched
359:
193:Northern Raqqa offensive (May 2016)
13:
964:Hisham Arafat (12 December 2016).
637:
436:Felat took part in the capture of
365:Siege of Kobanî and first commands
14:
1478:
1351:. 29 January 2018. Archived from
717:Luke Mogelson (6 November 2017).
572:, and the Iraqi Kurdish activist
550:
340:officer. Upon the spread of the
334:outbreak of the Syrian Civil War
220:Deir ez-Zor campaign (2017–2019)
111:
99:
87:
67:
1367:
1335:
1311:
1285:
1257:
1229:
1210:Josie Ensor (17 October 2017).
1203:
1181:
1158:
1136:
1116:Enwer Omar (26 December 2016).
1109:
1095:
377:, she went on to fight against
1437:People of the Syrian civil war
1021:Alexandra Sims (29 May 2016).
618:
1:
1462:Women in 21st-century warfare
1050:Aylina Kilic (8 March 2016).
924:Massoud Hamed (2 June 2017).
673:
505:April 2017 Turkish airstrikes
272:
264:from terrorism and tyranny".
244:(SDF), who has fought in the
40:
576:. Felat is also critical of
442:eastern al-Hasakah offensive
423:, who became famous for her
267:
232:(born c. 1977 or 1980) is a
188:Al-Shaddadi offensive (2016)
178:Eastern al-Hasakah offensive
7:
846:Tom Coghlan (27 May 2016).
10:
1483:
1467:21st-century Syrian people
1432:Kurdish military personnel
1120:. ARA News. Archived from
203:Raqqa campaign (2016–2017)
172:Battle for Mishtanour Hill
112:
100:
1457:Women in war in West Asia
1447:People's Protection Units
648:According to articles by
627:by Benedetta Argentieri.
354:People's Protection Units
144:
136:
125:
118:People's Protection Units
80:
62:
36:
27:
20:
1422:Syrian Kurdish feminists
630:
545:democratic confederalism
482:offensive's second phase
452:. In May 2016 she led a
410:Women's Protection Units
375:Rojava-Islamist conflict
252:(ISIL). A revolutionary
242:Syrian Democratic Forces
238:Women's Protection Units
236:senior commander of the
106:Women's Protection Units
94:Syrian Democratic Forces
1146:. YPG. 10 December 2016
719:"Dark Victory in Raqqa"
517:major Turkish airstrike
404:(ISIL). By this time a
1442:People from Al-Hasakah
512:
509:al-Hasakah Governorate
350:Democratic Union Party
213:Battle of Raqqa (2017)
208:Battle of Tabqa (2017)
53:al-Hasakah Governorate
1375:"I am The Revolution"
519:against the YPG near
502:
492:, Tabqa Airbase, and
486:operations to capture
450:Al-Shaddadi offensive
126:Years of service
1452:Syrian Kurdish women
1402:Female army generals
797:Agence France-Presse
601:Turkish Armed Forces
530:Deir ez-Zor campaign
446:Tell Abyad offensive
183:Tell Abyad offensive
1331:on 21 October 2013.
897:Süddeutsche Zeitung
799:(18 October 2017).
657:Süddeutsche Zeitung
625:I am the Revolution
1355:on 31 January 2018
1299:. 11 November 2016
1083:. 10 November 2016
1054:. Kurdish Question
513:
330:Hasakah University
1412:Kurdish feminists
1348:Hawar News Agency
1297:Hawar News Agency
1270:Hawar News Agency
1245:. 20 October 2018
1242:Hawar News Agency
1124:on 2 January 2017
995:Hawar News Agency
585:Otto von Bismarck
460:capital of ISIL,
326:Arabic literature
227:
226:
1474:
1417:Syrian feminists
1387:
1386:
1384:
1382:
1371:
1365:
1364:
1362:
1360:
1339:
1333:
1332:
1315:
1309:
1308:
1306:
1304:
1289:
1283:
1282:
1280:
1278:
1273:. 6 October 2019
1261:
1255:
1254:
1252:
1250:
1233:
1227:
1226:
1224:
1222:
1207:
1201:
1200:
1198:
1196:
1185:
1179:
1178:
1176:
1174:
1162:
1156:
1155:
1153:
1151:
1140:
1134:
1133:
1131:
1129:
1113:
1107:
1106:
1099:
1093:
1092:
1090:
1088:
1073:
1064:
1063:
1061:
1059:
1047:
1038:
1037:
1035:
1033:
1018:
1007:
1006:
1004:
1002:
987:
978:
977:
975:
973:
961:
946:
945:
943:
941:
932:. Archived from
921:
908:
907:
905:
903:
888:
865:
864:
862:
860:
843:
816:
815:
813:
811:
793:
772:
771:
769:
767:
749:
736:
735:
733:
731:
714:
667:
646:
496:city from ISIL.
473:another campaign
466:Manbij offensive
360:Military service
198:Manbij offensive
167:
150:Syrian Civil War
116:
115:
114:
104:
103:
102:
92:
91:
90:
82:
73:
71:
70:
45:
42:
32:
18:
17:
1482:
1481:
1477:
1476:
1475:
1473:
1472:
1471:
1392:
1391:
1390:
1380:
1378:
1373:
1372:
1368:
1358:
1356:
1341:
1340:
1336:
1317:
1316:
1312:
1302:
1300:
1291:
1290:
1286:
1276:
1274:
1263:
1262:
1258:
1248:
1246:
1235:
1234:
1230:
1220:
1218:
1208:
1204:
1194:
1192:
1186:
1182:
1172:
1170:
1163:
1159:
1149:
1147:
1142:
1141:
1137:
1127:
1125:
1114:
1110:
1101:
1100:
1096:
1086:
1084:
1075:
1074:
1067:
1057:
1055:
1048:
1041:
1031:
1029:
1019:
1010:
1000:
998:
997:. 28 March 2017
989:
988:
981:
971:
969:
962:
949:
939:
937:
922:
911:
901:
899:
889:
868:
858:
856:
844:
819:
809:
807:
794:
775:
765:
763:
750:
739:
729:
727:
715:
680:
676:
671:
670:
647:
638:
633:
621:
558:Abdullah Öcalan
553:
526:Battle of Raqqa
454:first offensive
434:
396:in the town of
367:
362:
346:Bashar al-Assad
275:
270:
246:Rojava conflict
161:Siege of Kobanî
110:
98:
88:
86:
68:
66:
47:
43:
23:
12:
11:
5:
1480:
1470:
1469:
1464:
1459:
1454:
1449:
1444:
1439:
1434:
1429:
1424:
1419:
1414:
1409:
1404:
1389:
1388:
1366:
1334:
1310:
1284:
1256:
1228:
1202:
1180:
1157:
1135:
1108:
1094:
1065:
1039:
1008:
979:
947:
936:on 2 June 2017
909:
866:
817:
773:
737:
724:The New Yorker
677:
675:
672:
669:
668:
663:The New Yorker
635:
634:
632:
629:
620:
617:
562:Rosa Luxemburg
552:
549:
433:
430:
425:suicide attack
394:being besieged
384:forces in the
366:
363:
361:
358:
342:civil uprising
286:The New Yorker
274:
271:
269:
266:
234:Syrian Kurdish
225:
224:
223:
222:
217:
216:
215:
210:
200:
195:
190:
185:
180:
175:
174:
173:
158:
146:
142:
141:
138:
134:
133:
127:
123:
122:
121:
120:
108:
84:
78:
77:
64:
60:
59:
38:
34:
33:
25:
24:
21:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1479:
1468:
1465:
1463:
1460:
1458:
1455:
1453:
1450:
1448:
1445:
1443:
1440:
1438:
1435:
1433:
1430:
1428:
1427:Living people
1425:
1423:
1420:
1418:
1415:
1413:
1410:
1408:
1405:
1403:
1400:
1399:
1397:
1376:
1370:
1354:
1350:
1349:
1344:
1338:
1330:
1326:
1325:
1320:
1314:
1298:
1294:
1288:
1272:
1271:
1266:
1260:
1244:
1243:
1238:
1232:
1217:
1216:The Telegraph
1213:
1206:
1191:
1184:
1168:
1161:
1145:
1139:
1123:
1119:
1112:
1104:
1098:
1082:
1078:
1072:
1070:
1053:
1046:
1044:
1028:
1024:
1017:
1015:
1013:
996:
992:
986:
984:
968:. Kurdistan24
967:
960:
958:
956:
954:
952:
935:
931:
927:
920:
918:
916:
914:
898:
895:(in German).
894:
887:
885:
883:
881:
879:
877:
875:
873:
871:
855:
854:
849:
842:
840:
838:
836:
834:
832:
830:
828:
826:
824:
822:
806:
802:
798:
792:
790:
788:
786:
784:
782:
780:
778:
761:
760:
755:
748:
746:
744:
742:
726:
725:
720:
713:
711:
709:
707:
705:
703:
701:
699:
697:
695:
693:
691:
689:
687:
685:
683:
678:
665:
664:
659:
658:
653:
652:
645:
643:
641:
636:
628:
626:
616:
612:
610:
606:
602:
598:
594:
590:
586:
581:
579:
575:
571:
570:Sakine Cansız
567:
563:
559:
551:Personal life
548:
546:
542:
537:
535:
531:
527:
522:
518:
510:
506:
501:
497:
495:
491:
487:
483:
479:
474:
469:
467:
463:
459:
455:
451:
447:
443:
439:
429:
426:
422:
417:
415:
411:
407:
403:
399:
395:
391:
390:Kobanî Canton
387:
383:
380:
376:
372:
357:
355:
351:
347:
343:
339:
335:
332:. Before the
331:
327:
322:
320:
316:
312:
308:
304:
300:
296:
292:
288:
287:
282:
281:
265:
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221:
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211:
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206:
205:
204:
201:
199:
196:
194:
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189:
186:
184:
181:
179:
176:
171:
170:
168:
162:
159:
157:
154:
153:
152:
151:
147:
143:
140:Top commander
139:
135:
132:
128:
124:
119:
109:
107:
97:
96:
95:
85:
79:
76:
65:
61:
58:
54:
50:
39:
35:
31:
26:
19:
16:
1379:. Retrieved
1377:(in Italian)
1369:
1357:. Retrieved
1353:the original
1346:
1337:
1329:the original
1322:
1313:
1301:. Retrieved
1287:
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762:(in German)
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619:Recognition
603:during the
574:Leyla Qasim
440:during the
421:Arin Mirkan
338:Syrian Army
258:Middle East
230:Rojda Felat
44: 1977
22:Rojda Felat
1396:Categories
1381:9 November
1359:30 January
1324:Die Presse
1277:28 October
1221:17 October
1195:17 October
1081:Al-Monitor
930:al-Monitor
674:References
578:capitalism
494:al-Thawrah
448:, and the
438:Tell Hamis
307:Jihan News
303:al-Hasakah
299:Jihan News
273:Early life
240:(YPJ) and
63:Allegiance
1303:1 January
1150:1 January
1128:1 January
972:1 January
902:1 January
859:1 January
853:The Times
651:The Times
534:Euphrates
490:Tabqa Dam
478:Tabqa Dam
268:Biography
1173:26 April
1087:16 March
1058:16 March
1032:16 April
1001:16 April
805:France24
766:16 March
759:T-Online
654:and the
589:Napoleon
458:de facto
379:Islamist
371:training
344:against
319:T-Online
295:Internet
291:Qamishli
280:T-Online
254:feminist
81:Service/
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593:Saladin
568:leader
408:in the
400:by the
356:(YPG).
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940:3 June
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315:Turkey
311:Batman
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75:Rojava
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631:Notes
609:Afrin
462:Raqqa
414:squad
262:Syria
129:2011–
57:Syria
1383:2020
1361:2018
1305:2017
1279:2019
1251:2018
1223:2017
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