Martin Gruden from Ljubljana killed in Syria fighting against ISIL

Slovenian citizen Martin Gruden was killed three days ago in the Syrian city of Manbij. A native of Ljubljana, he fought as a member of the Kurdish YPG militia against ISIL, reports the news agency Patria. 

After informing relatives, the leaders of the Kurdish militia announced the deaths of two of their foreign fighters on social media. In the heavy fighting for control of the city of Manbij, Briton Carl Dean Evans was also killed, whose father, also via social media, confirmed the death of his son.

For both foreign fighters in their ranks, YPG officers announced that they died a brave and martyr's death.

Regarding the death of Martin Gruden, neither the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the police have any information, as he went to fight in Syria on his own initiative.

During the fighting in Syria, the Slovenian took the name Rodi Cekdar, and Slovenian media are investigating the reasons that led the Ljubljana native to go fight on the side of the Kurds in a foreign country. The YPG is otherwise an ally of the USA in the fight against the so-called Islamic State in Syria, writes Index.