For the Media and Public Opinion
JAZIRA, Rojava (July 1, 2015) – Through history, with any identity that it might be, humanity has assembled around definitions such as freedom, equality and peace – and it always has risen in defiance of tyranny, oppression and cruelty. Freedom-lovers throughout the entire world have continuously been involved in a struggle to leave a free and peaceful future for their children.
The Kurdish people has played a big role in this revered struggle of peoples, as they continue to conduct their significant part. For thousands of years the pressure and war of deadly powers has not been reduced, yet our relentless people have always stood strong in face of those dark forces and have held high the flag of struggle. In order to grant freedom and democracy, whatever price it has been required, these people have paid confidently. This struggle of Kurdish people can be taken into account as the hardest and longest struggle of human history. Today, a streamer of this respected battle is waved by proud combatants of the People’s Defense Units and the Women’s Defense Units in Rojava Kurdistan, Syria.
This valued fight of our forces today has echoed widely throughout the entire world, and has been of abundant hope and belief for freedom-loving young men and women. For that, willing individuals from all around the world step forward to come to Rojava and be a part of this shared struggle of peoples. This assembly and reaching each other, defines well that humanity still lives with the same principles and purity. How hard determined unrighteous ones try, warriors who march taking those principles as value, are more resolute to let not the enemy forces a single opportunity.
We have come to know many precious and courageous fighters through this struggle. Many who first were not familiar with their culture, language and life, collected about a sign of freedom, knew each other and shoulder-to-shoulder they fought against darkness.
One of these heroes was our comrade, Reece Harding, who moved to Rojava on May 4th 2015 to join the fight against Daesh (ISIS) terrorists. He chose a Kurdish name after his fallen countryman Ashley Kent Johnston – Bagok Serhed – to live his expectations in that way.
Reece, had a clear smart and aware personality, he would act and move responsible at all points. He was conscious before his combatant comrades, and would do his best to protect them both in life and military. With his rekindling enthusiasm and courage, he was of morale source for all comrades during battles against the terrorists. These features and other of his characteristics who cannot be put into words, let comrade Reece to be a good example among other comrades.
After his initial training, Reece did ask for deployment to the front-lines, therefore he joined the Phase II of Operation Commander Rubar Qamishlo which first was launched effectively on May 6, 2015. After that, Reece joined numerous liberating operations in several ISIS-occupied rural and urban areas where he played a major role and fought a daring battle against brutal enemy forces.
Unfortunately in one of those task operations which inflicted severe blows to the terrorists, we had comrade Reece a fallen martyr. Reece was martyred June 27 as result of an IED explosion during operation to rescue Misherfa village within Raqqa, Tal Abyad and Kobani triangle.
His fall has truly saddened us, as losing a kindhearted, reliant comrade always is painful. But we as comrades of Reece will make power of this sorrow while fulfilling his goal and realizing his attitude, and those of all of our fallen martyrs.
We as the People’s Defense Units YPG and the Women’s Defense Units YPJ, above all the family of comrade Reece and his loved ones, we extend our deepest condolences to proud Kurdish and Australian people. We declare once more that Daesh terrorists shall never succeed, and for that we will put in effect all we can do.
FALLEN HERO’S PROFILE IS:
NAME: REECE HARDING
NOM DE GUERRE: BAGOK SERHED
MOTHER’S NAME: MICHELLE
FATHER’S NAME: KEITH
PLACE OF BIRTH: MIDDLE SWAN, AUSTRALIA / 8-31-1991
JOINED: MAY 4, 2015 – JAZIRA REGION, ROJAVA
MARTYRED: JUNE 27, 2015 – MISHREFA, AIN ISSA, SULUK
NAME: REECE HARDING
NOM DE GUERRE: BAGOK SERHED
MOTHER’S NAME: MICHELLE
FATHER’S NAME: KEITH
PLACE OF BIRTH: MIDDLE SWAN, AUSTRALIA / 8-31-1991
JOINED: MAY 4, 2015 – JAZIRA REGION, ROJAVA
MARTYRED: JUNE 27, 2015 – MISHREFA, AIN ISSA, SULUK
People’s Defense Units (YPG) – 2015 Press Office
