More than 100 women from the remote Darzab district of Jawzjan province have taken up arms to fight Daesh after the group killed their men and burned their homes. 

The women left their homes in Darzab district a month ago and are now in Qush Tapa district of the province where they have vowed to avenge the deaths of their loved ones.  

Ayee Jamal, is 80 years old and is part of the group. 

She said she never dreamed she would have to take up arms to fight but decided to do so after Daesh fighters killed her two sons. 

She said there is a lack of security forces in the area – which is also why the women have armed themselves. 

But Jamal was wounded when Daesh carried out the attack on her village. She said she had been trying to rescue her sons at the time. 

“They killed two of my sons … I picked up a gun to avenge their deaths,” she said.

Nawroz Khala is another member of the group who said she has fought on the battlefield five times against Daesh. 

She was also wounded in her last fight, she said.

Now she is responsible for security in the Naw Abad village of Qush Tapa district.

“I fought against Daesh fighters and two bullets hit my body. But I continued fighting Daesh,” Nawroz Khala said.

This group of fighters has also rescued a group of men who had been surrounded by Daesh fighters.

“If they had not helped us, Daesh fighters would have arrested us,” said Hamza, husband of Nawroz Khala.

Gulab Riz is the commander of this group and lost her husband along with 25 members of her family to Daesh. 

“I fought them four times and have killed a few Daesh fighters. I will continue to fight Daesh,” said Gulab Riz.

With no training and no support from security forces, this band of women are now defending their homes and children. 

“The governor should bring them under the security forces’ structures,” said Colonel Abdul Hafeez Khashi, security chief at Jawzjan Police Headquarters.