Joanna Palani pauses for a break just a few kilometers from the frontline. Her decision to actively fight ISIS was a long process but when Joanna first came to Iraq she immediately joined a military training camp in Syria, which left her family unaware of her presence for months. © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
A few moments earlier, ISIS were shooting at Joanna and the other Kurdish soldiers. Now the group is moving on as if nothing happened. In Kurdish Iraq, war has become everyday life—and Joanna is part of it. © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
Joanna stands up for her rights. She believes that the fight against ISIS is not only is a fight for the Kurdish nation but also a fight for democracy, woman's rights and the very freedom she connects with her upbringing in Denmark. © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
Around 1,000 Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers are holding the frontline south of Erbil against ISIS. Joanna is currently the only female fighter present. © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
"I want to pass on the opportunity my family got when they escaped to Denmark to the Kurdish people in the Middle East," Joanna says. © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
ISIS is holding their positions in the next village. Joanna picks up movements from a car and shoots. Moments after, they return fire. ISIS mostly attack in close combat when it’s cloudy and rainy so the coalition's airplanes can't spot them and drop bombs. © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
After six months of fighting in Syria, Joanna left the frontlines and retreated to the Kurdish capital of Iraq, Erbil. She needed a break from the frontline and time to decompress. © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
© Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
© Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
In November 2014, Joanna left Denmark to fight against ISIS. She couldn’t concentrate to complete high school since which she wasn’t present physically or mentally. Her thoughts were with the Kurdish people. "I've always had more struggles in life than my friends in Denmark" © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
Joanna guards the frontline south of Erbil. "For some people it might seem extreme to travel down here to fight—but for me it's necessary. It's a must. It feels good to save lives" © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
To prevent themselves from being easy targets for the US-led coalition jet fighters, ISIS mostly attack during nighttime. For the Kurdish Peshmerga, one of the most effective tools to prevent being ambushed is to light up the fields facing ISIS-held territory with huge spotlights. © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
© Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
"If I survive this war, I'm going to get tons of babies once I'm back in Denmark," Joanna says. Only 36 of the 64 soldiers Joanna did her military training with in Syria are still alive. © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
After 8 months of fighting on the frontlines of Iraq and Syria, Joanna went back to visit her friends and family in Denmark. Her plan was to return shortly to the battlefield—but the Danish government decided to retain her passport and deny her permission to leave the country. Joanna was sentenced by the same laws that were written to prevent Danish citizens from traveling to Syria to join terrorist organizations like the Islamic State itself. © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske
Joanna waits outside the court in Denmark. She denies the charges and won't let the Danish government prevent her from going back to Syria and Iraq. The trial is yet to be resolved. © Asger Ladefoged / Berlingske