YPJ condemns appointment of U.S.-sanctioned figure as military commander
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – A senior figure in the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) condemned on Monday the recent appointment of Ahmad al-Hayes, known as “Abu Hatem Shaqra,” by the Syrian transitional government as commander of a military division in eastern Syria.
Ruksan Mohammed, spokesperson for the YPJ, which is an all-female military unit within the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), strongly denounced the decision.
Al-Hayes is under U.S. sanctions for his involvement in the assassination of Kurdish politician Hevrin Khalaf, committing grave human rights violations, and maintaining ties with the Islamic State (ISIS).
On Monday, the Syrian Ministry of Defense officially appointed al-Hayes as commander of “Division 86,” which oversees operations in Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, and Raqqa.
Mohammed stated on X platform in Arabic, “We strongly condemn the appointment of Hatem Abu Shaqra—who is implicated in crimes against women, the Yazidi community, and in the assassination of our comrade Hevrin Khalaf and her driver Farhad Ramadan—as commander of the so-called Division 86.”
She added, “This appointment legitimizes impunity and perpetuates violence against women and indigenous peoples.”