Rojava slams desecration of female fighter's body, vows stronger Kurdish resolve
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led administration of northeast Syria (Rojava) on Tuesday condemned as unjustifiable under any pretext the desecration of a “heroic” Kurdish female fighter by Damascus-affiliated armed groups, after gruesome footage showed militants throwing her body off a building while hurling insults.
Heavy clashes erupted last week between the Syrian Arab Army and its affiliated armed factions on one side and the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish) on the other in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood neighborhoods, leading to their seizure by the former.
The violence left at least 82 people dead, including 43 civilians, according to a Sunday report by the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), and displaced approximately 150,000 others, the Erbil-based Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) told Rudaw on Saturday.
Amid the unrest, a gruesome video surfaced online showing a Damascus-affiliated militant throwing the body of the Kurdish female fighter off the second floor of a building, while his comrades encouraged him with shouts of “dump her, dump her” and cheered as her body hit the ground. Militants are also heard calling her an “honorless pig.”
The viral footage has sent shockwaves worldwide, particularly within the Kurdish community both in the region and abroad.
In its Tuesday statement, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) in Rojava condemned “the crime that shook the human conscience,” represented by “Damascus- affiliated factions throwing the lifeless body of a heroic Kurdish from a tall building.”The Kurdish-led SDF said on Saturday that a Kurdish female fighter was executed and thrown from a building by the Syrian army.
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) January 10, 2026
The fighter was reportedly captured by armed men after resisting an army attack in the Kurdish-majority neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsood for hours. pic.twitter.com/k7mVJhSm5M
The act is “an egregious violation of all moral and human values, as well as international conventions that protect human dignity even after death,” the Rojava administration added, affirming that “such actions are inexcusable under any pretext and reflect a dangerous disregard for human life, as well as an attempt to break the will of society by spreading fear and humiliation.”
“We salute the resistance of women in Aleppo’s Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud, where two members of the women’s Internal Security Forces [Asayish] achieved martyrdom after a historic and heroic resistance,” the DAANES said.
Another viral video from Aleppo’s Kurdish quarters sparked controversy by showing dozens of Kurdish civilians - including many women and children - being rounded up and humiliated by Damascus-affiliated armed groups, in what rights observers have condemned as arbitrary detention and ethnic targeting.
Damascus-affiliated militants are heard referring to the captives as “pigs” and “products of federalism,” in reference to the Kurdish community’s call for decentralized rule in Syria.
Tens of Kurdish civilians from Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsood neighborhood have been captured and humiliated by Damascus-affiliated armed groups, in what rights observers are condemning as arbitrary detention and ethnic targeting. pic.twitter.com/KoBWXpsAe2
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) January 11, 2026
The DAANES on Tuesday affirmed that “human dignity is indivisible, and that targeting women, desecrating bodies, and humiliating prisoners are crimes that do not expire,” reiterating its call for “an independent international investigation and accountability for those responsible.”
The Rojava administration finally emphasized that “these crimes will not break the resolve of women” but will instead strengthen the Kurdish people’s “commitment to their legitimate rights to freedom, justice, and a life of dignity.”