Syrian Democratic Forces

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a <a href="/facts/Kurds_in_Syria/qVCETwjh">Kurdish</a>-led coalition of U.S.-backed <a href="/facts/Left-wing_politics/JUcz1kvS">left-wing</a> ethnic militias and rebel groups, and serves as the official military wing of the <a href="/facts/Democratic_Autonomous_Administration_of_North_and_East_Syria/YEoQU4YH">Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria</a> (DAANES; also unofficially known as Rojava). Founded on 10 October 2015, the SDF claims that its mission is fighting to create a <a href="/facts/Secular/uCj9a25U">secular</a>, democratic and <a href="/facts/Federalization_of_Syria/Dgm0FavT">federalized Syria</a>. The SDF is opposed by Turkey who view the group as an extension of the <a href="/facts/Kurdistan_Workers%2527_Party/LbQqy4Ft">Kurdistan Workers' Party</a> (PKK), which it has designated a terrorist group. On 10 March 2025, the SDF agreed to integrate into Syrian state institutions under the <a href="/facts/Syrian_caretaker_government/q9hnCCsr">Syrian caretaker government</a>. Abdul met with the committee formed by Ahmed al-Sharaa to implement the deal; further meetings were planned for April.
Formed as a rebel alliance in the <a href="/facts/Syrian_civil_war/UD2gymjC">Syrian civil war</a> with <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">American</a> support, the SDF is composed primarily of <a href="/facts/Syrian_Kurds/qVCETwjh">Kurdish</a>, <a href="/facts/Syrian_people/KD2xaJaU">Arab</a>, and <a href="/facts/Assyrians_in_Syria/s3eCxyFB">Assyrian/Syriac</a>, as well as some smaller <a href="/facts/Armenians/SxHfJF8N">Armenian</a>, <a href="/facts/Syrian_Turkmen/U3d4nzuh">Turkmen</a> and <a href="/facts/Chechens/xXzyEMjB">Chechen</a> forces. It is militarily led by the <a href="/facts/People%2527s_Protection_Units/UacrAabp">People's Protection Units</a> (YPG), a <a href="/facts/Kurdish_people/nfHFlVlq">Kurdish</a> militia which is designated as a terrorist group by both Turkey and <a href="/facts/Qatar/K4EkNXJE">Qatar</a>. The SDF also includes several ethnic militias, and various factions of the <a href="/facts/Syrian_opposition/Il9FUu2G">Syrian opposition</a>'s <a href="/facts/Free_Syrian_Army/eUYQEwra">Free Syrian Army</a>.
Opponents of the SDF include various <a href="/facts/Islamist/4u3G2nEf">Islamist</a>, <a href="/facts/Syrian_nationalist/GPLeLqVS">Syrian nationalist</a>, and pro-Turkish forces involved in the civil war. Major enemies include <a href="/facts/Al-Qaeda/CIQSk3D7">al-Qaeda</a> affiliates, the <a href="/facts/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant/agpVzR4K">Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant</a> (ISIL), the <a href="/facts/Syrian_National_Army/n5pCC2Vj">Syrian National Army</a> (TFSA), the <a href="/facts/Turkish_Armed_Forces/29nIWTEB">Turkish Armed Forces</a>, and their allies. Up to 2019, the SDF focused primarily on ISIL, successfully driving them from important strategic areas, such as <a href="/facts/Al-Hawl/gqdJIXLe">Al-Hawl</a>, <a href="/facts/Shaddadi/6hT3bNh4">Shaddadi</a>, <a href="/facts/Tishrin_Dam/YD8myy6D">Tishrin Dam</a>, <a href="/facts/Manbij/uk8CKGg5">Manbij</a>, <a href="/facts/Al-Thawrah/9DGYgr9x">al-Tabqah</a>, <a href="/facts/Tabqa_Dam/ck9TV0Qs">Tabqa Dam</a>, <a href="/facts/Baath_Dam/64uKJ6eN">Baath Dam</a>, and ISIL's former capital of <a href="/facts/Raqqa/gs5BEqhW">Raqqa</a>. In March 2019, the SDF announced the total territorial defeat of ISIL in Syria, with the SDF taking control of the last stronghold in <a href="/facts/Baghuz/KJf7nYLo">Baghuz</a>. Since the territorial defeat of ISIL, the SDF has increasingly been involved in combatting the TFSA and Turkish presence in northern Syria.

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Syrian Democratic Forces