## The Women Who Once Fought ISIS Now Confront HTS
Journalist **Beritan Sarya** stated that the women who played a decisive role in defeating ISIS during the battle of Kobanê now confront the control and repression of **Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)** with the same unwavering resolve.
According to Sarya, these women, who once stood on the frontline against one of the most violent terrorist groups in modern history, continue their struggle for freedom and equality in regions where new threats have emerged. She emphasized that the **spirit of resistance born in Kobanê** has never disappeared but instead transformed into a force challenging the HTS’s authoritarian practices across northern Syria.
> “The women who liberated their homeland from ISIS are the same ones refusing to bow to HTS,” Sarya said. “Their struggle is not only military but also social and ideological.”
### Ongoing Struggle and Determination
Sarya explained that women, particularly those within Kurdish and Arab communities, now face attempts by HTS to impose patriarchal control and religious conservatism. Despite these pressures, activists and former fighters from the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) continue to organize and defend their rights within civilian movements.
She underlined that while global attention has shifted since the fall of ISIS, the women of Kobanê and Idlib remain committed to defending the values of gender equality, community autonomy, and resistance to extremism.
> “The war against women’s freedom did not end with ISIS,” Sarya added. “It continues wherever authoritarian rule tries to erase women’s agency.”
### Legacy of Resistance
The journalist concluded that the resistance of these women symbolizes a broader regional demand for democratic self-determination. Their defiance against both ISIS and HTS stands as a reminder that women’s liberation remains central to the pursuit of lasting peace in Syria.
> “Their courage continues to redefine what resistance means in the Middle East,” Sarya noted.
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*Author summary: Syrian journalist Beritan Sarya highlights how women who defeated ISIS in Kobanê continue resisting HTS, linking their struggle to ongoing fights for equality and freedom.*
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ANF — 2025-11-29