Incredible moment elated Syrian women rip off strict Islamic robes and headscarves after escaping religious persecution under ISIS
- Exclusive video shows women removing robes after escaping from ISIS
- Men, women and children arrive in Kurdish-controlled territory in Syria
- Witness said women were 'feeling cheerful and joyful for being finally free'
By
JENNY STANTON FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 18:26 EST, 5 June 2015 | UPDATED: 08:55 EST, 6 June 2015
This is the incredible moment elated Syrian women tear off their black shapeless robes as they enter Kurdish-controlled territory after fleeing for their lives from the clutches of Islamic State.
In two video clips released exclusively to MailOnline, men, women and children are seen celebrating their arrival in Rojava in the north of the country.
Two women pull off their robes to reveal colourful dresses while another removes her headscarf and lets it fly away in the wind after escaping religious persecution under ISIS.
Freedom: A Syrian woman tears off her shapeless black robe as she enters Kurdish-controlled territory
Elation: Men, women and children celebrate their arrival in Rojava after fleeing from the clutches of ISIS
Syria-based freelance journalist Jack Shahine watched as the refugees arrived in the area close to Tel Abyad and about 40 miles east of Kobane.
He told MailOnline: 'These women, children and men are fleeing ISIS controlled area and as soon as reaching Kurdish YPG (People's Protection Units) controlled areas they remove the black Burkas obliged by ISIS, breathing freedom again.
'These women started to remove blackness, feeling cheerful and joyful for being finally free.'
The footage was filmed by Shervan Derwish, a cameraman and the spokesman for the Euphrates Volcano Operation Room - established by the Kurdish YPG and Free Syrian Army to target the Islamic extremists.
Meanwhile this week, ISIS militants have launched a major attack on the predominantly Kurdish city of Hassakeh in northeastern Syria, according to activists and Syrian state media.
A woman removes her robe revealing a bright green dress as she crosses into Kurdish-controlled territory
The incredible footage was filmed close to Tel Abyad in Syria and was released exclusively to MailOnline
A Syrian woman raises her arms in the air as she celebrates escaping from ISIS and arriving in Rojava, Syria
It was in an apparent attempt to reverse some of the advances made recently by Kurdish fighters in the northeastern Syrian province.
Kurdish fighters have captured dozens of towns and villages there with the help of US-led airstrikes and are getting close to Tel Abyad, a major Islamic State-held border town near Turkey.
The extremists launched the push on the city of Hassakeh, which is split between government forces and Kurdish defenders, on Tuesday night.
Syrian state television said extremists are battling for control of a juvenile prison still under construction on Hassakeh's southern edge and have so far attacked it with five suicide car bombs.
The TV report said government warplanes have struck the ISIS stronghold of Shaddadeh, south of Hassakeh.
Syria-based freelance journalist Jack Shahine watched as the refugees arrived in the area and said they were 'joyful for being finally free'
Women raise their hands in the air with smiles on the faces as they arrive in Kurdish-controlled territory
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian air force is also taking part in the battle around Hassakeh and that ISIS gunmen have entered the prison building.
The group said dozens of fighters were killed on both sides, adding that IS brought reinforcements of about 400 fighters from the nearby province of Deir el-Zour.
Activists also reported intense fighting Wednesday in the northern Aleppo province between ISIS fighters and other insurgent groups including al-Qaida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front.
ISIS has been on the offensive in the area where they captured several towns and villages over the past days.
[see movies in original article]
Read more:
Syrian women rip off strict Islamic robes and headscarves after escaping ISIS | Daily Mail Online
Follow us:
@MailOnline on Twitter |
DailyMail on Facebook
[h/t:
pjmedia]