‘This is war’ First British woman to join fight against ISIS vows to continue battle

Kimberley Taylor, of Blackburn, Lancashire, decided to join the front line because she believes she can help carve out a better future.

The 28-year-old has been fighting on the frontline with the all-female Kurdish militia since October after travelling to the group’s stronghold in Rojava, northeastern Syria, in March last year.

She admitted the cause she is fighting for with the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) in Syria will most likely end in her being killed.

But the fearless soldier – who goes by the Kurdish name Milan Dilber – has vowed to stay in Syria and fight with other women to secure their rights.

She said: “When women are on the front line against Daesh (ISIS) – yes we are fighting against them physically but we are also fighting against their mindset that women shouldn’t have a voice, that they shouldn’t even think about how they want to live their life or how others should live their life.

“They are not allowed to think anything or even speak it.

“So by us women being at the front line, it is also a symbolic action against the mindset of Daesh. This is why they attack us so ferociously.

“They want nothing but oppression. This is why they do not accept that we are on front line fighting against them.”

Miss Taylor is believed to be the first female Briton to have travelled to Syria to fight against the deadly death cult.

She had originally planned to visit the region for just a few weeks after she was invited by a women’s organisation to write about the revolution.

But she later decided to stay indefinitely, saying: “I came with two friends and was supposed to be here for, I think, ten days and then we stayed for like fifteen days and then they went home and I decided to stay.

“I realised that this is something that I could be part of.

“Why would I go home to continue studying books about politics and revolution when I can live the life of them? 

“Everything that you do here matters and it makes a difference.”

Having first joined as part of the YPJ’s media team, she has since joined the fighting on the front line.

And the brave Brit have vowed to remain there until the fight against bloodthirsty jihadis is over.

The comments come weeks after a Merseyside man was killed fighting ISIS.

Luke Rutter, 22, had fought in the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, and was branded a “martyr” by his comrades.