AFRIN: Ammunition belts slung over their shoulders, voices cracking from the chanting, dozens of young Syrian Kurds amassed in Afrin鈥檚 town square to enlist in the 鈥渞esistance鈥� movement against a Turkish-backed assault.
They wore mismatched military gear, some in jeans and others with scarves wrapped around their faces.
A few admitted it was the first time they had ever touched a weapon, but said they felt compelled to defend their hometown.
鈥淎frin is where I grew up, just like my parents and my grandparents before me. This is why it鈥檚 a duty for me to fight for it,鈥� says Asmaa, 19.
The first-year journalism student at Afrin University decided last month to leave her studies behind and respond to a call to arms by local Kurdish authorities.
Town officials called for a 鈥渕ass mobilization鈥� of civilians to fight an assault by Turkish troops and allied rebels on the Kurdish People鈥檚 Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin.
They estimate hundreds have joined so far 鈥� some deployed to the front lines while others have volunteered for hospital shifts or rescue teams that search for survivors after bombardment.
Asmaa, a black-and-white scarf wrapped around her neck, says she enlisted to take part in the fighting.
鈥淭oday, I don鈥檛 see myself as a student. I see myself as a fighter,鈥� she says assertively.
The crowd around her splits into two lines 鈥� one for young men and one for women 鈥� and begin marching through Afrin for an impromptu military parade.
As shopkeepers look on, the youth wave YPG flags and chant, 鈥淣o to occupation!鈥� and 鈥淟ong live the heroic resisters!鈥�
鈥淭here has been an increasing number of volunteers, and each young man or woman can choose which institution they want to volunteer for depending on their experience and capacities,鈥� says Rezan Haddu, a media adviser to YPG in Afrin.
鈥淪ome volunteered as YPG fighters, others provide logistical support like food, transportation, and clothes,鈥� he tells AFP.
Turkey and allied Syrian rebels began their cross-border assault on the Afrin region on January 20, and most of the fighting has been concentrated along the mountainous frontier.
Ankara has blacklisted the YPG as a 鈥渢error鈥� group for its ties to the Kurdistan Workers鈥� Party (PKK), which has waged a deadly and decades-long insurgency against the Turkish government.
Local authorities had to act quickly to hold off the offensive, says Jinda Tulhaldan, a leader in the Kurdish Youth Movement鈥檚 Afrin branch.
鈥淲e give them a week of military training and teach them how to use weapons,鈥� says Tulhaldan.
鈥淲e know a week isn鈥檛 enough, but we were attacked and had to defend our city with whatever we had in front of us.鈥�
The Afrin region juts out from Syria鈥檚 northern Aleppo province, but it is governed under a semi-autonomous system established by Kurdish factions in 2013.
Under that system, people between the ages of 18 and 32 must spend one year in military conscription, says the YPG鈥檚 spokesman in Afrin, Birusk Hasakah.
Hasakah says 鈥渉undreds鈥� of recruits had now fully enlisted in the YPG and allied groups, including members of local government who had closed public office and taken up arms.
鈥淥thers decided to prepare tea and food to distribute to the fronts, and others are volunteering in the hospitals,鈥� he says.
鈥淲e were trained in light weapons from the youth center in Afrin,鈥� says Tirij Hassan, a 22-year-old attending the recruitment rally.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the first time I carry weapons, but I鈥檓 happy about it because I鈥檒l be defending Afrin, its people, and its children.鈥�
Turkey says it does everything it can to avoid hitting civilians.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 68 civilians have been killed including 21 children since Turkey launched operation 鈥淥live Branch鈥� last month.
At least three civilians have also been killed by rocket fire from Syria onto Turkish territory.
More than 100 YPG fighters and about the same number of pro-Turkey rebels have also died in the fight, the Britain-based monitor said.
鈥淭urkish warplanes are bombing Afrin. They are bombing civilians and attacking us and our forces,鈥� says Farhad Akid, a 21-year-old agricultural engineering student in the Afrin city center.
鈥淎s young men, we鈥檝e pledged ourselves to resist, to protect Afrin and our people. We won鈥檛 allow a single Turkish occupier to enter our blessed land.鈥�