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Syrian Democratic Forces
Template:Rtl-lang Quwwāt Sūriyā al-Dīmuqrāṭīya Hêzên Sûriya Demokratîk Haylawotho d'Suriya Demoqratoyto
Flag of the Syrian Democratic Forces
Dates of operation	10 October 2015 – present
Group(s)	Kurdish Supreme Committee People's Protection Units Women's Protection Units Syrian Arab Coalition Shammer tribe militias Al-Sanadid Forces Al-Shaitat tribe militias Liwaa Siqur El-Badiye Euphrates Volcano Jaysh al-Thuwar Northern Sun Battalion Jabhat al-Akrad Liwa Thuwwar al-Raqqa New Syrian Forces Syriac Union Party Syriac Military Council Sutoro
Headquarters	Al-Hasakah, Syria
Active regions	Aleppo Governorate Hasakah Governorate Al-Raqqah Governorate Deir ez-Zor Governorate
Allies	Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve Russia
Opponents	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant al-Nusra Front Ahrar ash-Sham Syrian Turkmen Brigades Ansar al-Sharia Fatah Halab Mare' Operations Room Turkey
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Battle of Aleppo Syrian Kurdish–Islamist conflict (2013–present) Al-Hawl offensive (2015) Tishrin Dam offensive Northern Aleppo offensive (2016) Al-Shaddadi offensive (2016)

The Syrian Democratic Forces (Template:Lang-ku, Template:Lang-ar-at), Syriac: Haylawotho d'Suriya Demoqratoyto, commonly abbreviated as SDF or QSD, are an alliance of Arab, Assyrians, Armenian, Kurdish, Turkmen, Circassian and Chechen militias fighting against ISIS and Al-Nusra Front in the Syrian Civil War. The goal of the group is "to create a democratic and a bilateral Syria, where true justice is implemented over time." Their goals and military operations are part of the larger Rojava Revolution taking place in northern Syria in which residents are carrying out de facto self-rule based on the principles of democratic confederalism.

The SDF has focused primarily on ISIS, successfully driving them out of towns such as Shaddadi and Umm Madfah.

On 10 December 2015, after a two-day conference, it established its political wing, called the Syrian Democratic Council.

Establishment

The establishment of the SDF was announced on 11 October 2015 during a press conference in al-Hasakah.

The alliance builds upon the successful Euphrates Volcano joint operations of the Syrian Kurdish YPG and certain factions of the Free Syrian Army, who helped defend the Kurdish town of Kobanî. Euphrates Volcano was later joined by Liwa Thuwwar al-Raqqa, who participated in the capture of Tell Abyad from the Islamic State. The larger Syrian Democratic Forces alliance also includes forces from the self-administered Jazira Canton, such as the Christian Syriac Military Council and the Arab tribe Al-Sanadid Forces both of whom contributed to combating IS from Al-Hasakah. Although estimates of the size of the SDF's component forces vary significantly, their total number, including the Syrian Arab Coalition and Christian militias may be as high as 55,000.

With a strength of around 4,000 fighters, the Arab groups within the alliance will operate under the joint name Syrian Arab Coalition and is committed to pushing south towards ISIS de facto capital Ar-Raqqah, while staying east of the Euphrates river. Some of the remaining U.S.-Pentagon-trained rebels will also be part of the new forces, tasked with "calling in airstrikes against ISIS and recruiting moderate rebels".

Signatory groups

The following groups signed the founding document:

1. People's Protection Units (YPG)
2. Women's Protection Units (YPJ)
3. Al-Sanadid Forces
4. Syriac Military Council (MFS)
5. Liwa Thuwwar al-Raqqa
6. Euphrates Volcano
7. Jaysh al-Thuwar
8. Brigade Groups of Al-Jazira
9. Lîwai 99 Muşat

Additional groups that joined

Since it's establishment, additional groups have joined the SDF.

• At the end of October 2015, the tribal Liwaa Siqur El-Badiye group joined the SDF to fight ISIL in the southern countryside of Hasakah province.
• On 15 November 2015, former FSA group Furat Jarablus announced its accession to the Syrian Democratic Forces.
• On 2 December 2015, the Arab Deir ez-Zor Governorate-based tribe Al-Shaitat joined the SDF, sending fighters to Al-Shaddadah. on 6 January 2016 an additional 400 joined.
• On 13 January 2016, a group called the Euphrates Martyrs Battalion joined the SDF.
• On 20 January 2016, a group called the Free Jarabulus Battalion joined the SDF.
• On 5 February 2016, a group called Martyrs of Dam Brigade from an Arab village called al-Makhmar liberated by the Syrian Democratic Forces in the Tishrin Dam offensive joined the Northern Sun Battalion and the SDF.
• On 28 February 2016, a group called Martyr Kaseem Al Areef Battalion from Sarrin formed and joined the Syrian Democratic Forces through their member Jaysh al-Thuwar
• On 10 March 2016, a group called Liwa Jund Al Haramayn joined the Syrian Democratic Forces through Jaysh al-Thuwar group the Northern Sun Battalion. They are a former member of the Army of Mujahedeen group called the 19th Division. They operate in Northern Aleppo countryside, also have a presence in Aleppo city and Kobani
• On 12 March 2016, it was reported that more than 200 locals from the earlier liberated areas around the town of Shaddadi joined the SDF, most of them Arabs.
• On 18 March 2016, an Arab group called Liwa Ahrar al-Raqqah joined the SDF.
• On 2 April 2016 the Manbij Military Council was established with the goal to secure the town of Manbij and it's surrounding countryside, the YPG and YPJ are not part of this military council.

Support by the U.S. led alliance

On 12 October 2015, the Pentagon confirmed U.S. C-17 transport aircraft having dropped 100 pallets with 45 tons of arms and ammunition over Northern Syria to benefit "Arab groups." YPG spokesman Polat Can confirmed the airdrop over Rojava, identifying the freight as being "assault rifles, mortars and ammunition, but no TOW anti-tank missiles nor anti-aircraft weapons." However, the main Arab groups within the Syrian Arab Coalition denied that they received the shipment and pointed out that the airdrop may have been intended for their Kurdish allies.

While the weapons are primarily intended for the Arab affiliates turning towards Raqqa, Can reiterated the Kurds’ first priority was linking the Kurdish enclave of Afrin with Kobani, thereby clearing the remaining 60 miles of Syria–Turkey border, including the border town of Jarablus, from IS occupation. YPG General commander Sipan Hemo however told the London-based al-Hayat newspaper that an attack on the IS headquarters in ar-Raqqah was expected "within weeks."

The airdrop came only days after The Pentagon had officially abandoned its failed $500m train-and-equip program of "moderate rebels" fighting ISIS. It was mildly criticized by Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, who feared "at least a considerable part of these weapons will fall into the terrorists’ hands."

Relations with the Syrian Government

There have been multiple skirmishes between the Syrian government and the YPG during the civil war. At the same time, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has stated that his government has supplied arms to the PYD, and that he is open to decentralization proposals after the conflict is over. PYD officials have reportedly held talks with representatives of the Syrian government and the Russian military in Damascus and Latakia about a joint effort against ISIS, and the Syrian government has condemned Turkey's shelling of Kurdish forces in the border region in a letter to the UN Security Council.

On 23 February 2016, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told parliament that there is an evidence of coordination between Syrian Kurdish forces, the Syrian government and the Russian air force over the last few weeks which are making them distinctly uneasy about the Kurds role in Syria.

See also

• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War
• Rojava Revolution
• YPG Commander Hemo on SDF(Syrian Democratic Forces)/
• YPG–Syrian government relations

References

1. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "Refworld - Kurdish Strategy Towards Ethnically-Mixed Areas in the Syrian Conflict". Refworld.
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3. "أبناء العشائر العربية يشكلون لواءً وينضمون إلى QSD".
4. Lister, Tim (1 November 2015). "New assaults on ISIS in Iraq and in Syria". CNN.
5. "Syrian Democratic Forces inch closer to Deir Ezzor: Al-Mukmin captured".
6. "Hammond: 'Disturbing evidence' that Kurds are coordinating with Syrian regime and Russia". The Daily Telegraph. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
7. Lambert, Fred (1 November 2015). "Syria: Joint Kurd-Arab-Assyrian force announces U.S.-backed offensive in al-Hasakah". UPI. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
8. "Nusra reportedly attacks newly pledged SDF forces in Aleppo". Syria Direct. 25 November 2015.
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22. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved December 13, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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29. "من هم تجمع كتائب فرات جرابلس؟". Hawar News. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
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35. "بيان انضمام كتيبة الشهيد كاظم عارف لجيش الثوار". YouTube. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
36. "QSD Press Office on Twitter: "A new brigade "Liwa Jund Al Haramayn" announced it is joining to our forces "". Twitter. 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
37. "Dozens of young men join western-backed SDF to fight ISIS northeast Syria". ARA News. 2016-03-12. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
38. "Arab fighters from the 'abu alttabat village of Raqqah join the SDF as the Liwa Ahrar al-Raqqah : syriancivilwar". Reddit.com. 2016-03-18. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
39. https://www.reddit.com/r/syriancivilwar/comments/4d1lxx/sdf_groups_form_manbij_military_council_to/
40. https://www.reddit.com/r/syriancivilwar/comments/4d1lxx/sdf_groups_form_manbij_military_council_to/d1n9gn0
41. ^ Roy Gutman (12 October 2015). "U.S. begins airdrops of weapons to Kurdish forces in northern Syria". McClatchy. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
42. "Syrian Arab militias dispute they received U.S. airdrop of ammunition". McClatchy DC. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
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46. ^ "Syria takes Turkish shelling of Kurds to the UN". Rudaw. February 15, 2016.
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External links

• Official website Template:Ar icon
• Syrian Democratic Forces on Facebook
• Syrian Democratic Forces on Twitter
• "The Syrian Democratic Forces" Formed By Various Factions on YouTube

• Military units and factions of the Syrian Civil War
• Operations rooms of the Syrian Civil War
• Anti-ISIL factions in Syria
• Military units and formations established in 2015