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KOBANE – Jamie Bright (45), also known by his revolutionary codename Gabar Amed, was killed on 25 May in the village of Malha, near Shaddadi in northeastern Syria, in an attack by Islamic State (ISIS) militant fighters, Kurdish leadership of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) said in a statement.
Bright is the third Australian to die as part of the YPG forces fighting ISIS extremists in northern Syria.
“The reason I came to Kurdistan was for the people, their struggle, and their fight,” Jamie Bright previously said. “I came to assist the revolution as much as possible,” he added.
Born in 1971, Jamie Bright was the father of one child, but nevertheless he decided to join the YPG as an ex-Australian soldier.
One day after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched the campaign to capture Northern Raqqah on 25 May, he was killed in an attack by the ISIS group. Bright was killed alongside with three other YPG fighters.
“As YPG, we promise again that we continue your struggle, and we bow our heads for these four martyrs who sacrificed their souls in this revolution,” the YPG leadership said.
Previously, two Australian citizens were killed while fighting as part of the YPG. Reece Harding (23) also known as Heval Bagok Australia was killed when he stepped on a landmine on Saturday 27 June 2015. Also, Ashley Johnston died in the battle between the YPG and ISIS in the city of Tel Hamis near the Syria-Iraq border on February 24, 2015.
“Foreigners are attracted because of the simplicity of right and wrong. Defending a secular people’s homeland,” said Chris Scurfield, the father of Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, 25, an ex-Royal Marine from Barnsley who died while fighting ISIS near the Syrian Kurdish city of Qamishli.
“Jamie was an amazing special guy. I met him in Sulymaniya shared a kebab and he offered me £2k just to help my family out after Kosta passed,” Scurfield told ARA News.
“Yes, but it was difficult time for me. He was enjoying some rest and relaxation, but never met my son, but we talked about how he didn’t have too many relations just his mum and he kept a low media profile because of her. He was worried about his lost passport so it was difficult for him to travel out but he was very happy to stay, he loved the work and the guerilla style of fighting. He had been in the Australian military so was well trained,” he added.
“I do not know exactly why he joined other than why get trained if you never use your skills properly, to help a people find resistance and independence,” he told ARA News.
Reporting by: Wladimir van Wilgenburg
Source: ARA News
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