Kurds against IS-terror

Kurt Pelda and Dölf Duttweiler

00:01

There' s little here to suggest a raging war: trucks calmly line up at the Turkish-Syrian border, waiting for clearance.

00:09

It isn't difficult to cross the border.

But on the other side waits a truckload of Minbij fighters from the Free Syrian Army, and a city under the control of ISIS militia.

Even the most dreaded caliphate still receives regular supplies - on humanitarian grounds, the locals explain.

00:31

Lower: Yussuf al-Halabi - 00:00:31

Yes, of course. They are themselves not human: They cut our heads off. But this product is for the people there, not for ISIS.

00:40

Beyond the border crossing begins the war zone covering the Syria-Iraq borders. Large parts of it have been conquered by the Islamist militias, ISIS.

00:50

From Bab al-Salama we drive to the Syrian Kurds. In the mountains behind Afrin they have their base. The rebel stronghold of Aleppo is nearby. But Raqqa, the capital of the Caliphate, is only 250 kilometres away.

01:07

There is no clear front line to the Islamic state. At the edge of villages here there are always checkpoints. The fear of ISIS terrorism is always present. This unit, which controls this area, is part of the Syrian Revolutionary Front - one of the many rebel formations that now cooperate in the fight against ISIS.

01:34

One of the men shows us how he plans to save himself from the brutal ISIS butchers, if he is captured. A belt of explosives, packed with three kilograms of TNT and balls of steel.

01:50

It is ignited by a hand grenade.

Lower: Abu Leith - 01:54 to 02:00

Otherwise, they will execute me. But they will torture me first, as if I were not a Muslim.

02:01

The Kurdish region is marked with an Ocalan Poster. The founding father of the Turkish-Syrian PKK, sitting for 15 years in a Turkish prison. Today, the Syrian Kurds play an important role in the resistance against the Assad regime in Damascus and against the Islamic State-militia elsewhere.

02.23

Women also train with the PKK. It is a striking contrast to the world of the ISIS-Caliphate a few dozen kilometres away. There, women may hardly leave the house and are always concealed. Here they fight for freedom and equality, even handling heavy weapons.

02:49 man poses question

Are you alone here? Or with siblings?

Lower: Afrin Mahsum - 02:53 to 02:57 very short !!!

With my sister. My brother is dead - a martyr.

02:59

Their weapons mostly come from the Syrian government army, a part of their arsenal left behind at the beginning of the civil war here. This tank is not the latest model. But it works. And more importantly, the morale of the Kurdish troops seems to be unbroken.

03:26

The Islamic State-Caliphate recently showed off its modern weapons in its de facto capital of Raqqa. Partly American equipment taken from the fleeing government troops in Iraq. Battle tanks and long-range missiles. A parade that is designed to spread fear and terror.

03.48

The supreme head of this terrorist army is a man of many names. Known widely as "Al-Baghdadi" , he now answers to a new name, "Ibrahim Khalifa". In July, he appeared publically for the first and only time, explaining from whom he gets his commission.

Lower: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi - 04:06 to 04:13

Indeed, Allah tests me in this great cause. I would be examined by his confidence. And that weighs heavy.

04:14

The Kurds are moving to the front in the Northwest of Syria, to fight against Baghdadi's Caliphate. In the resistance against Assad they have often held back. But now a new danger threatens from the radical Islamists - a threat to their own moderate Islamic beliefs.

04:31

Allah is great!

04.36

As they descend, shots are heard. Nervousness is rampant.

04:42

A sniper is shooting!

04.48

Here, military action is normally carried out in the cover of night.

04:55

Keeping a careful eye on all sides is Abu Mus'ab, the brigade commander.

5:01

Lower: Abu Mus'ab, commander Kurdish brigade - 05:03 to 05:17

Over there are the so-called Islamic State. Between the houses and the hill. There are 50 to 70 people, four tanks and heavy weapons.

05:18

The Kurds fear the Islamic State-troops could bring the border under control with a single raid. Aleppo would then be lost.

05:28

Chapo Salah, leader of the Kurdish front is alarmed. A decisive battle could be imminent.

Lower: Chapo Salah, leader of the Kurdish Front - 05:34 - 06:01

It is very important for ISIS that they already seized a large part of the north of the Aleppo Province,including some border crossings. Now they want to capture Azaz and the last open border crossing to Turkey. If they succeed Aleppo would be isolated, with ISIS in the North and Assad's army in the South. Then it's over for Aleppo.

06:01

But he sees a sign of hope: the pressure from the Islamists has brought their opponents together:

06:07

This is new. At the beginning we were alone against ISIS. As ISIS advanced, we have begun to coordinate. The Free Syrian Army has sent a coordinator.

06:25

The Kurds are mobilized and with or without support, they are determined to defend their mountains from attack.

Credit: 06:41 to 06:51 (10 sec.)

Report: Kurt Pelda, Dölf Duttweiler

Camera: Kurt Pelda

Editing: Peter Muck

Produced by: SRF Switzerland