Soldiers of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during a training session west of Raqqa. Photo: ARA News

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December 22, 2016 

Raqqa – The Syriac Military Council (SMC) on Wednesday announced the death of their member Hauro Hani, during the Euphrates Wrath Operation for Raqqa.

David Vergili, a representative for the European Syriac Union, told ARA News that the fighter joined the SMC a few months ago to participate in the anti-ISIS battle for Raqqa led by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) “to protect the region from jihadist forces”.

“Hauro Hani was always proud to be part of SMC and fighting for his people with his comrades. SMC joined Raqqa operation as a part of SDF forces to protect and liberate the region from ISIS and other radical groups,” Vergili said.

“The SMC’s participation in the operation is in line with previous achievements of SDF, namely in Shaddadi, al-Hawl and Manbij,” the Syriac official told ARA News.

“SMC believes that defeating and removing jihadist forces from the region is the only vital solution for the population and to the Democratic Self-Administration project which was founded by the main components of the area,” Vergili stated.

The SMC joined the Euphrates Wrath Operation on 6 November 2016.

“Our forces are a part of the Raqqa liberation campaign the Euphrates Wrath Operation,” the group said in November. “As Syriac-Assyrian Christians, we work with our Kurdish and Arab allies in the Syrian Democratic Forces to liberate Raqqa,” the SMC leadership said.

“The fight against terrorism is a fight for the existence of our Syriac-Assyrian people and we cannot rest until this fight is won,” it said. “We ask therefore the international community to support us and all Syrian Democratic Forces.”

The SMC is the military wing of the Syriac Union Party led by Ishow Gowriye, which is part of the local self-administrations set up by the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its allies in northern Syria, also known as Rojava. Moreover, the party has its own police wing called Sutoro that mans checkpoints in the cities within the canton administrations of Hasakah.

The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), Syriac Military Council, Raqqa Revolutionaries Battalion and Tel Abyad Revolutionary Brigade are participating in Euphrates Wrath. In addition to these local fighters, foreign soldiers from a half-dozen nations are participating, either as YPG volunteers or under the auspices of the US-led coalition.