‘Martyrs never die’: Kirkuk volunteer killed in Rojava buried in Kirkuk amid large funeral

KIRKUK — The body of Ahmed Hemin, a Kurdish volunteer from Kirkuk who was killed in Syria’s Kurdish region of Rojava, was laid to rest on Saturday at Rahimawa Cemetery in the city, amid a funeral attended by large crowds.

The burial ceremony drew participants across Kurdistan, along with friends and relatives of the deceased.

Ahmed Hemin, a young man from Kirkuk, was killed after traveling with several friends to Rojava following assaults by Syrian government forces and allied militias on Kurds in Syria.

He went to support the Kurds and died while defending territory there.

As his body was transported from Rojava to the Kurdistan Region, residents gathered along the route in several cities, including Zakho, Erbil and Kirkuk. Many stood holding Kurdistan flags to receive the coffin as it passed through their areas.

A participant told 964media, “Being Kurdish is very painful. I can’t find words to describe how I feel right now. Why must we continue to be displaced and targeted?” Mourners repeatedly chanted, “Martyrs never die.”

Hemin Kirkuki, the father of the deceased, told 964media that he was grateful for the solidarity shown by people across Kurdistan. “Our heads are held high. The support of the people has eased our grief,” he said.

Omar Ahmed, his grandfather who spoke to 964media, thanked people across Kurdistan for the warm reception for the body. He said, “Thank you to all Kurds, from Hasakah to here. I thank Kurds from all four parts of Kurdistan who expressed their solidarity.”

Activists in Kirkuk said they decided to keep the coffin used to transport Ahmed’s body from Rojava and to use it as a symbol during demonstrations in support of Rojava.

Civil activist Nabard Kakayi told 964media that the decision was made at the request of Ahmed’s family. He said that after the burial, a Kurdistan flag was placed on the coffin “as a message reflecting what Ahmed Hemin died for. He died for Kurdistan.”

Syria’s government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces reached a broad agreement Friday to gradually integrate Kurdish military and civil institutions into the state, after weeks of clashes that ended in a ceasefire.

As Syrian Islamist regime forces intensified attacks on Kurdish areas in northern Syria, Kurds around the world mobilized in what activists described as an unprecedented show of solidarity.

In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and across the diaspora, protests continued for more than a week, with demonstrators condemning the attacks and demanding international action.

Several humanitarian aid campaigns were launched to support civilians affected by the fighting, while activists and ordinary people used social media extensively to document and publicize atrocities committed by the Syrian regime against Kurdish communities.