Kurds launch conscription campaign to protect Kobane

160 civilians were conscripted in Syria’s Kurdish city of Kobane for military service after ratifying the law of self defence duty in June beginning this month, a former official in the Kobane administration, Idris Nasan, said.

The new recruits will be trained at the martyr Kendal Efrin camp for 45 days by the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and then serve for 9 months.

“They will serve 9 months and after that they are free to join the YPG or go home,” ARA News cited Nasan as saying.

However, some civilians in Kobane seem very critical of the conscription law. “You cannot send people to fight by force, people should have the right to choose. If they want they can fight, if they don’t want they don’t fight,” Mohammed, a 25-year-old citizen of Kobane, said.

Some youth have tried to escape to Turkey to avoid the service.