INTRODUCTION
The attitude of the people of North and East Syria towards reactionary, fundamentalist, and chauvinist militias, who brought with them destruction, displacement, and massacres to Syria, evolved after the heightening of the Syrian crisis. These radical, racist Islamic militias such as the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Nusra Front, ISIS and others attacked the people of North and East Syria and inflicted terror on them through human rights violations, destruction of infrastructure, and crimes against humanity such as murder, torture, amputation of limbs, rape, human trafficking, suicide attacks, and bombings, without concern for the safety of the environment or human life. The motives of these groups varied between implementation of regional forces as mercenaries and the desire to build long-term entities, and between individual psychopathic1 personality, the culture of hatred, and the culture of war loot to gain resources and wealth quickly. On the other hand, the people of the area didn’t simply take the position of a bystander and surrender to their predators, but followed their instinct for self-defense. In the societies of North and East Syria, a popular force evolved and quickly developed military foundations. Its main mission is self-defense, and it has well-established military tenets. We find that these units have many names such as the People’s Protection Units (YPG), Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), Civil Defense Forces (HPC), Self-Defense Duty Forces (HXP), Internal Security Forces (Asayish), Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), al-Sanadid Forces, Syriac Military Council, Deir ez-Zorr Military Council, Manbij Military Council, and al-Bab Military Council. These, and many others, represent the different constituent groups of the area, based on the theory of the right to self-defense suggested by the philosophy of the Demo- cratic Nation.
YPG and YPJ represent the backbone of the defense forces of the people of North and East Syria in terms of principles, combat experience, the size of the forces, and its reserve units. These units fought dozens of battles against different forces which attacked the local people. Its merger with SDF reassured national elites and enhanced Syrian national identity. With that, SDF became the main military foundation in North and East Syria. It formed a real example for the possibility of coexistence between Syria’s different constituents, and showed the failure of racist, theocratic2 forces which sought to tear the social fabric of the region.
There was, and still is, a positive role for military forces in North and East Syria in achieving security in the region. They have carried out more than ten military campaigns and dozens of bat- tles to clear the region from terrorist groups, and have been incredibly effective in contributing to the security of the international community. This is proven by the agreement between these forces and the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which includes 79 countries and describes terrorists as those building bases, centers, and financial resources for radical groups, and targeting the inter- national community.
On this subject, the Rojava Center for Strategic Studies (NRLS) did interviews, surveys, stud- ies and events monitoring the Syrian crisis. They have witnessed it since 2011, and studied the battles of military forces in North and East Syria and their role in clearing east of Euphrates from ISIS, al-Nusra Front and the Muslim Brotherhood, which are known culturally, politically, and mil- itarily as terrorist and mercenary groups in the region. It is important to note that the areas west
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of laws of morality; a harmful personality bad for society and its foundations; this personality enjoys the suffering of others and doesn’t acclimate with other personalities or adapt with its environment.
Psychopathic personality: a description for people who control their behavior and social deviation because
2 Theocratic, a doctrine which places the political power for a group on a religious base and considers God as a source of power and leadership.
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of the Euphrates would not be under the control of these groups without the military, political, and financial support of the Turkish state under the leadership of Erdogan. The occupation, ethnic cleansing, and demographic change of the Afrin region is a concrete example of this cooperation and support. Based on that, this dossier was created to highlight the role of YPG, YPJ, and SDF in overcoming terror. Below we will show some evidence which confirms this, supported by screen- grabs and various sources which authenticate many events.
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I. PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE YPG, YPJ, AND SDF
The public attitude towards the YPG, YPJ, and SDF reflect the real motives of the different components of the region to voluntarily join this force, and at the same time cements the reality of the name of this force as a “people’s army”. In an NRLS survey by the name of “Turkish Threats Against North and East Syria”, which was conducted in January 2019 and included 2,064 individu- als, 75.9 % confirmed that the SDF, YPG, and YPJ would defend the region against any attack from Turkey. 85.2% confirmed that they would prefer SDF, YPG, and YPJ to be the ones to respond to any possible aggression towards the country and defend it.
II. THE ROLE OF YPG AND YPJ IN OVERPOWERING TERRORISM IN ROJAVA AND NORTH AND EAST SYRIA
The People’s Protection Units, also known as YPG, were officially established in 2011 based on the self-defense groups which formed after the April 12th 2004 Qamishlo uprising in order to resist the armed battalions of the Ba’ath party, which had supported security forces in suppressing the up- rising and preparing racist attacks against Kurds and the Syrian opposition.
The establishment of the Women’s Protection Units, known as YPJ, was announced on April 4th, 2013, as a special woman’s force with an independent leadership.
These units adopt the principles of a democratic society, ecology, women’s freedom, and legitimate defense as its basis. There is no discrimination between religions, nationalities, languag- es, sex, or political parties, and they contain volunteer fighters of all the constituents which live in Rojava – North and East Syria: Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Turkmen, Assyrians, Armenians; all the religious beliefs - Christian, Sunni Muslims and Yezidis. That why it is called a people’s army. It has strong strategic relations with the al-Sanadid forces of the Arabic Shammar tribe, the Assyrian Khabour Guards force, and the Syriac Military Council. According to the laws of the Democratic Self-Ad- ministration, the YPG is an affiliate of the Rojava Defense Ministry, and carries out its mission of defense.
These units had and continue to have a main role in defending the people of North and East Syria. They do not intervene in political disputes, as other political forces in the regions do. These units have the ability to repel various forces which have attacked civilians, from both the Syrian and Turkish regimes to the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Nusra Front, the self-described “Free Syrian Army”, and of course, ISIS mercenaries. They played a major role in liberating hundreds of thousands of Yezidi, Arab, and Christian civilians from the control of ISIS and its militias. These units
have had the most important duty of keeping civil peace in the region and removing any foothold for terrorist organizations and mercenaries in North and East Syria. The elite special forces in SDF have had the biggest role in the victories of these forces against ISIS and the final elimination of the Islamic State. That is why it can be said that the region, and the world, are indebted to these forces – because its duty to protect the security of the international community is still not com- plete. It is important to note that the only forces which are hostile to these forces are ISIS, the Mus- lim Brotherhood, al-Nusra Front, and the Erdogan regime. All of these latter forces have roles in the instability and violence that plagues the region, in particular, the groups that live in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Sudan. According to a BBC report, “the units proved that they are the only military force which are able stop the Islamic radical militants”3 . In an interview with NRLS, ISIS commander Ilyas Aydin a.k.a. Abu Ubaidah al-Turkey said that YPG and YPJ were mainly responsible for the victory against ISIS, which suffered significant losses, and he expected that ISIS will review its future plans about hostilities towards Kurds.
Since the announcement of their establishment, these forces fought many battles of defense and liberation against mercenaries and radical militias. Below, we will mention the most important military campaigns in which these units fought:
1. The campaign to liberate Serekaniye
YPG fighters celebrate in Serekaniye after liberating it from the mercenaries of al-Nusra Front and the Muslim Brotherhood4
Based on NRLS interviews with a number of Serekaniye’s citizens who witnessed the battles that happened there, we can summarize the Serekaniye campaign as follows:
On November 8th, 2012, all of Serekaniye, with the exception of the Hawarna neighborhood (or Ronahi neighborhood as it is commonly known) fell under the control of Syrian Islamic militias such as al-Nusra Front, Ghuraba al-Sham, Ahrar al-Sham, Allah Akbar, the Ahfad al-Rasul Brigades,
3 com/arabic/middleeast/2016/02/160218_ypg_kurds_forces_syria_profile
BBC News Arabic. (2016, February 18). Profile: People’s Protection Units. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.
4 YPG Press Office. (2013, June 17). Liberation of Serekaniye [Photograph from Serekaniye]. Published 23 September 2013. Retrieved from https://www.ypgroja- va.org/17-T%C3%AErmeha-2013%3A-Rizgarkirina-Ser%C3%AAkaniy%C3%AA
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Screengrab of a video showing the vic- tims of Islamic militants who shelled the neighborhoods of Serekaniye )5(
Picture of video shows the wounded being brought to an ambulance because of the self-titled “FSA” shelling Serekaniye city on January 1st, 2013 )6(
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the Farouq Brigades, the Azadi Battalion, the Mishal Tamo Brigade, and Ahrar Goweran. The mili- tants were not just Syrians, but were from different ethnicities and nationalities, including Afghans, Pakistanis, Iraqis, Tunisians, Libyans, and Moroccans. After these militias took control of the city, the looting, arrest, coercion, and displacement of 8,000 citizens began. Orthodox churches were profaned and sacred religious instruments, such as crosses, were stolen. They created a nightmare situation, forcing people to leave the city and then taking control of all security and government institutions, arresting many regime workers. At that time, the YPG was in its infancy and had not yet spread throughout the region. On November 19th, 2012, the inhabitants of the city, under the leadership of West Kurdistan and the Kurdish National Council (both of which were under the um- brella of the Kurdish High Council), held a peaceful demonstration with the slogan “Return Home” to ask the people return to their houses and ask the mercenaries to leave the city and surrender it to the citizens in peaceful manner in order to stop the bloodshed. But the mercenaries’ battalions opened fire on the peaceful demonstrators, which pushed people to ask for help from YPG. They intervened as a force of defense and liberation. In spite of YPG suggesting a series of initiatives to stop the fight and begin dialogue, these militias broke their agreements and continued target- ing civilians and shelling Serekaniye neighborhoods. There, many martyred civilians, women and children, was what pushed YPG to escalate the fight. Through a series of battles, they were able to liberate the city and force the mercenaries of al-Nusra Front to withdraw to Turkish territory via the Serekaniye border crossing on September 23rd, 2013. The entire area was liberated from these terrorist mercenaries after the village of Alok was cleared on September 23rd. It is important to note that at that time, these units didn’t have the support of any other country.
During their battles YPG followed tactics of sniper and commando operations, while the other militias adopted the tactics of kidnapping civilians, shelling houses, and ambush and hit- and-run operations from across the Turkish border. In spite of this, the mercenaries’ losses were bigger than those of the YPG, and the militias weren’t able to return to the region again.
5 FSA shelling Serekaniye city and killing children (2013, January 12) Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mk1U-VGkXrE
6 Serekaniye ambulance the injured of FSA shelling (2013, January 13) Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBvUmQ52V7E
2. The campaign to liberate Tel Kocher andZ its countryside from al-Nusra Front, Ahrar al-Sh- am, and al-Tawhid Brigade, who were trying to control Rabiya (Tel Kocher) border gate with Iraq and make it a main munitions production center and base from which to launch attacks against locals. They aimed to force them to convert to their radical ideology, as well as to control Rojava’s oil wells. However, this failed, and they did not dare to return to the area again. Again note that at this time, the defense units received no support from any other country.
7 Ugarit News. (2012, November 8). 8/11 Ras al-Ain al-Hasakah 3. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=lehyrIanP3I
8 YPG Press Office. (2012, December 28) The Speech of Mahmoud Jamil and Heval Jemshid, the commander of YPG in Serekaniye. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFRX4bXEhdM
9 YPG Press Office. (2013, November 7). The Moment of Liberation of Tel Kocher. Retrieved from https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=GFRX4bXEhdM
10 YPG Press Office. (2013, November 7). The Moment of Liberation of Tel Kocher. Retrieved from https://www. y6outube.com/watch?v=GFRX4bXEhdM
g7p8
Screengrab of a video showing the members of the militia of Ghuraba al-Sham, which supported al-Qae- da, after their occupation of Serekaniye on November 8th, 2012. (7)
Speech of a the YPG commander Heval Jem- shid in front of Serekaniye’s citizens, thank- ing Serekaniye’s people for standing beside YPG in liberating their city from the hands of mercenaries. He also confirmed the liber- ation of other areas )8(
Screengrab of a video showing a YPG fighter at the moment of liberation of Tel Kocher(9)
Screengrab of a video showing an explosive vehicle in Tel Kocher. It is a firetruck,
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momwhenicthofislisbuepraptoiosnedoftoTseel Krvoecchievrilians. The liberation of the area forbade it from achiev-
ing its aim. )10(
Picture of military operation of YPG dis12 and YPJ to save Yezidis13
Picture of video shows the safe path which YPG opened it to save ten of thou- sands of Yazedis )12(
zidis14
Picture of military operation of YPG and YPJ to save Yezidis )13(
Screengrab of a video shows the safe path YPG opened in order to save tens of thousands of Yezidis)14(
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3. Commando operations opened safe passage between Mount Sinjar and Rojava, in order to secure the crossing of thousands of Yezidi refugees fleeing ISIS violence. ISIS attacked Mosul in July 2014, and later attacked Shengal on August 3rd, 2014. The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, under the purview of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, published a report by the name of “They came to destroy: ISIS crimes against Yezidis11”. This report credited the defense forces with saving thousands of children, women, and sick and elderly people, and ISIS attacks on this road were pushed back. This operation was the first indirect military contact between YPG and western forces, which were shelling ISIS locations in Shengal, according to the report.
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(15 June 2016), available from https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoISyria/A_HRC_32_CRP.2_ en.pdf
UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, They Came to Destroy: ISIS Crimes Against Yezidis. A/HRC/32/CRP.2
12 https://v-s.mobi/flucht-der-peshmerge-aus-shengal-3-08-2014-deutsche-untertitel-27:55
13 YPG Forces Reach Mount Shengal. (2014, August 14). Sehrivan Gazette. Retrieved from https://www.seh-
rivangazetesi.com/dunya/ypg-gucleri-sengal-dagina-ulasti-h12352.html
14 YPG Press Office. (2016, June 25). Report: YPG Rescues Yezidi Families from Mount Sinjar. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDeZ-1AbRzI
4. The defense of Kobane and resistance against ISIS: ISIS, with all its power and heavy weap- ons that it took from the Iraqi Army in Mosul, pulled its fighters all the way from the front lines of Latakia and Idlib and placed them on Kobane’s frontline. They sent 63 explosive vehicles to attack the city. It is important to note that the size of these terrorist forces was sufficient to occupy Da- mascus, according to the chief of external security for the Turkish branch of ISIS. Abu Jihad al-Tur- key, in one of his interviews with NRLS, stated that ISIS attacked Kobane with encouragement from Turkey on September 15th, 2014. They then announced that their target was the Democrat- ic Self-Administration and that they wanted to destroy the administration there and control the border with Turkey. ISIS’s strategy, represented by their motto “remaining and expanding”, was to massacre the Kurds, just as they did to the Yezidis. ISIS could no longer underestimate the Kurds after the YPG struck them a devastating blow. ISIS made a strategic mistake, and after its failure in Kobane it faced a series of defeats. After a few weeks of resistance, the Global Coalition Against ISIS gave direct military air support to the YPG after October 1st, 2014. Marches were organized in dozens of cities in 93 countries all around the world supporting the resistance of the YPG and YPJ fighters in Kobane. The tide began to turn on ISIS, and the city was liberated completely on January 26th, 2015, after 134 days of resistance. YPG and YPJ did a series of commando operations against ISIS, possibly the most famous being that of Arin Mirkhan on Mistenur Hill against a group of ISIS on October 5th, 2014. ISIS suffered significant losses of life and equipment in these battles, while YPG and YPJ were victorious.
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f romhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Z6qZ2INA4
Ronahi TV. (2015, January 19). The Epic of Dawn 2: Documentary on the Liberation of Kobane. Retrieved
16 YPG Press Office. (2014, September 9). Clashes in West Kobane. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=_xM3EsR-WYs
17 Sky News Arabia. (2014, October 10). The Eyes of the World on Kobane. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2DD5vX8U2I
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Screengrab of a video shows the fierce battles in Kobane15
Screengrab of a video shows the fierce battles in Kobane(16)
Fierce clashes in Kobane17 Some of Kobane battles16
Fierce clashes in Kobane (17) Some of Kobane battles (16)
Tal Hamees after liberation19
Picture of video seas21
Picture of video shows YPG and YPJ fight- ers during the campaign of liberating Tal Hamees (18)
Pictuees18
Tal n20
Tal Hamees after liberation(19)
Tal Hamees after liberation (20) Picture of video show the joy of civilians in Tal Hamees after YPG liberated their areas(12)
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5. The liberation of Qamishlo’s southern countryside, in coordination with the al-Sanadid forc- es from the Tel Hamees area. It was liberated from ISIS on February 27th, 2015. The Tel Brak area was liberated on February 28th, 2015, completing the liberation of the entire countryside of Qamishlo.
6. The campaign to liberate the town of Sheyokh Tahtany in Kobane Kanton on March 5th, 201522 to clear Kobane’s southern countryside from ISIS.
7. The campaign to liberate Mount Kizwan (Abdulaziz Mountains), on May 21st, 2015, gave the YPG and YPJ an important military advantage because of its strategic location. Because of this, they were able to defend Hasakeh canton and deprive ISIS of an important natural fortress.
8. Operation Commander Rubar Qamishlo, began on June 6th, 2015 in order to liberate the countryside of Tel Tamr after it was attacked a large number of ISIS terrorists on February 23rd, 2015. This operation by ISIS resulted in the control of the road between Serekaniye and Hasakeh, and it raised the spirits of their fighters after its consecutive defeats at the hands of YPG and YPJ in Ko-
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trieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL2dg8XcRi4
Ronahi TV (2015, February 24). Situation in Tel Hamees Countryside. Uploaded by Mohammed Hassan. Re-
19 Ronahi TV (2015, March 1). Special Program on the Participation of the Shamar Tribe in the Campaign to Lib- erate Tel Hamees. Uploaded by Mohammed Hassan. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvgsFY6Gf- Bo
20 ArtaFMRadio (2015, March 5). Trip to Tel Hamees Post-Liberation: Qamishlo-Tel Hamees. Published 2015 March 6. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATX2jCjlcGk
21 Ronahi TV. (2015, February 25). Clashes in Tel Hamees. Uploaded by Mohammed Hassan. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_PGvPnJ5JU
22 EchorouknewsTV (2015, March 7). The People’s Protection Units Liberate the City from the So-Called “State Organization”. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLNl_ez2WZs
bane, Shengal and other places. On March 11th, 2015, ISIS launched a massive attack in the southern countryside of Serekaniye, using tanks and heavy weapons. But this also failed, with YPG fiercely resisting and inflicting heavy casualties and equipment losses on ISIS. The countryside of Tel Tamr and Serekaniye was completely cleared of ISIS on May 21st, 2015. In the following days, the town of Mabrouka was liberated on May 27th, 2015, and the remaining ISIS fighters withdrew to Raqqa city.
9. Operation Euphrates Volcano, which YPG and YPJ started in coordination with some armed local factions, aimed to liberate the area between Jazira and Kobane from the hands of ISIS, and eliminate ISIS as a threat to the people of the area. The campaign succeeded after liberating the town of Suluk on June 14th, 2015, and the strategic city of Gire Spi (Tel Abyad) on June 15th, 2015. The victory of the YPG, YPJ and coalition was a crushing blow for ISIS, cutting off the main route they used to transport their wounded to Turkish hospitals and receive their relief and logistics via Gire Spi border crossing. Based on the testimonies of many ISIS members and commanders, Turkish intelligence supervised these border crossings. In this way ISIS lost an important source of power. Though there were some ISIS counterattacks on Kobane and Gire Spi which resulted in hundreds of casualties, in the end, they all failed, and YPG and YPJ eliminated dozens of sleeper cells and pur- sued the remnants of ISIS into Gire Spi and Kobane’s southern countryside. On June 7th, 2015, the strategic city of Ain Issa, 55 kilometers north of Raqqa, was liberated. After this, the YPG liberated Sarrin, a town south of Kobane city, on September 27th, 2015. With assistance from its sleeper cells, ISIS launched a counterattack in Hasakeh on August 1st, 2015, but it also failed, and YPG and YPJ were able to easily drive them out of the locations they had captured in the city center.
ISIS was using towns under its control as bases for criminal operations against the people of the area, including one of the most horrible actions, the huge explosion which targeted Qamishlo city on June 27th, 2016. As this picture shows, many civilians of different ages lost their lives, and hundreds were injured. Photo from Asayish Command Center Archive
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The campaigns YPG and YPJ participated in, such as Euphrates Wrath (to liberate Raqqa and its countryside), Operation Revenge for Elin and Cudi, the campaign to liberate Manbij, and Jazira Storm (liberating the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor), came after their merger with SDF. These units had the main ground role in achieving these victories.
III. THE ROLE OF THE SYRIAN DEMOCRATIC FORCES IN ROLLING BACK TERRORISM IN NORTH AND EAST SYRIA
The Syrian Democratic Forces, known as “QSD” in Arabic, “HSD” in Kurdish, and SDF” in English, was established on 10 October 2015, a year after the liberation of Kobane. It includes dif-
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ferent military factions in North and East Syria; the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) form the backbone or core of this force. This military entity includes repre- sentatives of all components of the region - Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Assyrians, Armenians, Turkmen, Circassians, and Chechens – all of whom support the philosophy of the democratic nation. There are also volunteers from different nationalities fighting in SDF ranks in order to support the res- idents of the region in defense of their homeland. It is an important partner of the International Coalition against terrorism, and it forms the main ground forces in Syria which fight against ISIS. The aim of the Syrian Democratic Forces is to fight terrorism, mainly ISIS, and defend North and East Syria against any attack.
Article 64 of the Social Contract of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria defines SDF as the official defense force. It states, “SDF is an armed defense force in the Democratic Fed- eration of Northern Syria. It depends on both voluntary recruits from the people, and on conscrip- tion. It is tasked with defending and protecting the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria from any attack or possible foreign threat. It ensures the protection of citizens’ lives and properties. It organizes itself in a semi-independent way according to the recruitment system law. Its activities are supervised by the democratic peoples’ conference and defense board.” 23
Currently, these forces ensure protection over an area of nearly 30% of Syrian territory.
Map Showing The Distribution Of Military Forces In Syrian Geography (from The Washington Post) 24
Based on the paradigm of a democratic Syria, SDF is a considered a secular force bound to democracy and discipline. It places its faith in the brotherhood of the people which enhances the Syrian national identity. It considers itself a defense force, and their enemy is anyone who attempts to assault the people of the region of North and East Syria, and all of Syria, in any form.
The SDF, in coordination with the Self-Defense Duty Forces, Civil Defense Forces, and Inter-
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Northern Syria. (2016). Social Contract of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria. Retrieved from https://interna- tionalistcommune.com/social-contract/
Democratic Federation of North and East Syria, The Constituent Assembly of the Democratic Federation of
24 Noack, R. (2019, February 22). Why Trump is suddenly going back on his promise to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, explained in one map. Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/ world/2019/02/22/why-trump-is-suddenly-going-back-his-promise-withdraw-all-us-troops-syria-explained-one- map/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.23a3144fa687
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)en’s ProYPJ)26( The Hol )25(
The SDF campaign to liberate al-Hol(25) Photos show the friendly relationship be- tween residents of al-Hol region and fighters
of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ)(26)
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1.
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nal Security, and with support of the International Coalition, has launched a series of military cam- paigns and successful battles as a continuation of military operations which were carried out by the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) and People’s Protection Units (YPG). They were able to defeat the so-called Caliphate in its entirety. They liberated the entire region east of the Euphrates from ISIS, liberated the city of Raqqa (the de facto capital of ISIS), and Baghouz, the last ISIS pocket east of the Euphrates.
Some of Their Operations (SDF):
The SDF launched its first campaign, which aimed to liberate the southern countryside of Hasakeh from ISIS, on 31 October 2015. The goal was to liberate it through the town of Hol and Smoqia (Kha- tonya) Lake on 15 November 2015. On 18 November 2015, they liberated the Shengal – Mosul – Ha- sakeh – Raqqa road from mercenaries and cut off ISIS’ supply route.
The Importance of the town of Hol for ISIS:
It is situated on the Iraq-Syria border.
It is an important defensive position for the northern border of ISIS territory, ensuring a safe road between Mosul and Raqqa.
A good source of funding for ISIS, through the exploitation of its oil wells.
The ability to recruit mercenaries from the region and spread their ideology.
An advanced military and security base to launch attacks on both Hasakeh and Qamishlo cantons.
2.
On 23 November 2015, they announced the liberation campaign of the southern countryside of Kobane canton. In only seven days SDF was able to liberate the region, and the strategic Tishreen dam on the Euphrates river, on 26 December 2015.
YPG Press Office. (2015, December 2). Syrian Democratic Forces’ Campaign 12-11-2015. Retrieved from https://
25 www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp1tmCdV8rU
26 YPG Press Office. (2016, September 9). Liberation of al-Hol [Photograph from Al-Hol]. Retrieved from https:// www.ypgrojava.org/Hol-un-Özgürleştirme-Hamlesi-Fotograf
3.
On February 16th, they launched Operation Wrath of Khabur in order to protect civilians on the banks of the Khabur river and liberate the town of Shadadi and the surrounding areas from ISIS. After three days, it was liberated on Februrary 19th, 2016.
Photo from Operation Wrath of Khabur, March 2016 (30)
YPG Press Office. (2016, December 26). Syrian Democratic Forces Liberate Tishreen Dam and Its Surround-
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ings from ISIS Terrorists. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqdBOOCpv4M
28 SDF Press Office. (2016, February 20). Reception of the People of the Shadadi Region by the Syrian Demo- cratic Forces. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbLy0QRQ9Xk
29 SDF Press Office. (2016, March 17). The Joy of the People of the Southern Countryside of Hasakeh After Their Liberation From Terrorist Organizations. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1IsamMlqBs
30 YPG Press Office. (2016, September 20). Photo of the “Wrath of Khabour” Campaign – March 2016. Retrieved from https://www.ypgrojava.org/%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%86- %D8%AD%D9%85%D9%84%D8%A9-
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)27( An
An SDF commander leads military operations during the lib- eration of Tishreen Dam in the Manbij region (27)
People of the southern countryside of Hasakeh wel� )29( )28( T coming their liberation from ISIS
)30( Photo from Operation Wrath of Khabur, March 2016
The return of civilians to Shadadi after its liber- People of the southern countryside of Hasakeh
ation by SDF (28)
welcoming their liberation from ISIS(28)
)31(The
The two children, Elin and Cudi(13)
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The Importance of the town of Shadadi for ISIS:
It is a region rich in gas and petroleum, and thus a source funding for the group.
It is a strategic position after the organization lost al-Hol as a first line of defense on their northern border. In particular, the Raqqa-Mosul road was a vital logistic and military supply route for the group.
It was also a source of mercenaries and a place to spread ideology.
The Shadadi region was a strategic military base for the organization, and from this region ISIS launched a violent campaign against the Assyrian villages on the banks of the Khabur river, kid- napping Assyrian citizens. The central aim of the Khabur Wrath operation was to completely end ISIS’s presence in the Jazira region.
On March 2nd, 2016, they launched Operation Revenge of Elin and Cudi, in retaliation for civilians, among them two children named Elin and Cudi, who were killed by elements of ISIS. There was a need to clear both the western countryside of Mount Kizwan (in the Abdulaziz mountains) and the northeast of Raqqa from ISIS gangs. They attacked Gire Spi (Tel Abyad) on Feburary 27th, 2016, com- mitting massacres against unarmed civilians. Through a series of battles, SDF were able to liberate the entire region of the southern countryside of Shadadi all the way to the southern countryside of Tel Abyad. There they established successful lines of defense against ISIS gangs.
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On June 6th, 2016, the SDF launched the campaign to liberate the city of Manbij, which was later called Operation Faisal Abu Layla. The campaign culminated in the liberation Manbij on August 15th, 2016, after the remaining elements of ISIS fled to Raqqa.
Hawar News Agency. (2016, March 3). Syrian Democratic Forces Named Their Campaign to Liberate South
31
Shaddadi and Tel Abyad “Elin and Cudi” on Behalf of the Two Children. Retrieved from https://alhurria.wordpress. /يدوجو-نيليإ-نيتديهشلا-نيتلفطلا-امه-نم/2016/03/03/com
)33( Fighters from the liber
Scenes from the battles for the liberation of .)34( Manbij by the SDF (32)
)32( Scenes from the
Fighters from the liberation campaign of Man- bij (33)
A woman from Manbij burn- ing her black veil imposed by Daesh(ISIS) after the city was liberated
)35( IS
Manbij women embrace a fe- male fighter from SDF after
A Manbij citizen celebrates in his own way after the libera- tion by SDF
liberating them from ISIS (34)
The joy of Manbij’s people after SDF liberated their city from ISIS (35)
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6.
The Importance of Manbij for ISIS:
It sits on a strategic road connecting ISIS in Raqqa to central Europe, through Turkey.
It was considered an intelligence base to receive foreign fighters, organize them ideologically, train them militarily and distribute them in different regions.
It is a barrier to prevent any connection between the Self-Administration in the Jazira and Kobane regions with the Afrin region.
It is located on an important commercial road between Aleppo and the eastern Euphrates River, which provided financial resources for ISIS through taxes.
On November 5th, 2016, with the support of the International Coalition, the Syrian Democratic Forc- es had launched its largest campaign yet, Operation Wrath of Euphrates. Its aim was to liberate the city of Raqqa, the self-declared capital of ISIS since 2014. It included 5 phases, the last of which was the largest battle to liberate Raqqa city. It had support from most of the Arab tribes in the region. SDF was able to liberate the countryside around the city and the strategic city of Tabqa as well as the Euphrates Dam on May 10th, 2017. After this, they liberated Raqqa city of October 17th, 2017, and victory was officially announced three days later in the center of Raqqa city.
RT Arabic (2016, June 25). Syrian Democratic Forces Are Making Progress Inside Manbij. Retrieved from https://
32 www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGLkJFfFQNY
33 Manbij Military Council (2018, January 18). Meetings and Scenes from the Manbij Military Council Headed to the Front Lines 18/1/2018. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CptyKWOQqAA
34 YPG Press Office. (2016, September 13). The Liberation of the City of Manbij in Photos – August 2016. [Pho- tograph f rom Manbij]. Retrieved f rom https: //www.ypgrojava.org/Rizgarkirina-Bajar%C3%AA-Minbic%C3%AA-Di- W%C3%AAneya-De---Tebax-2016
35 MTV Lebanon (2016, August 13). Manbij’s Liberation from ISIS - Prime Time News 13/08/2016. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6E5ookfwdg
)37( Raqqa at the moment of liberation by SDF )36( Raqqa under control of ISIS.
)39( A Member of an SDF medical team adminis� )38( Scen
ters first aid to an ISIS member after his capture
Raqqa under control of ISIS. )36( Raqqa at the moment of liberation
during the campaign to liberate Raqqa.
Photo of People’s Protection Units (YPG) fight� ers, who carried out an airdrop operation with International Coalition Special Forces in order to liberate Tabqa city and its Dams.
by SDF )37(
Scenes of the fierce battled in Raqqa out-
side the National Hospital, in which mem-
A Member of an SDF medical team administers first aid to an ISIS member after his capture during the campaign to liberate Raqqa )39(
bers of ISIS holed up. )38(
Photo from the SDF archive.
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Photo of People’s Protection Units (YPG) fighters, who carried out an airdrop operation with International Coalition Special Forces in order to liberate Tabqa city and its Dams.
Photo from the SDF archive.
The Importance of Raqqa for ISIS:
Moral significance because of its status as the group’s capital.
It contains the Euphrates Dam.
Social significance, because of the Arab tribes living in the region which are dominated by ISIS.
A source of mercenary fighters and a center to spread the ideology of the group.
A strategic base to organize and train the elements of the organization militarily and ideologically; a center for a large number of its leadership.
The results of Operation Wrath of Euphrates were as follows:
Euronews (2016, November 6). Start of the Battle to Liberate Raqqa from ISIS. Retrieved from https://www.
36 youtube.com/watch?v=foG20ZabvvU
37 Mogelson, L. (2017, October 30). Dark Victory in Raqqa. The New Yorker. Retrieved from https://www.newyo- rker.com/magazine/2017/11/06/dark-victory-in-raqqa
38 YPJ Press Office (2017, October 11). Clashes Around Raqqa’s National Hospital. Retrieved from https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=g4fMTAHIXyo
39 SDF Press Office (2016, March 9). A Member of SDF’s Medical Team Gives Treatment to an Element of ISIS. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjTx2H0FGTk
Scenes of clashes with ISIS in its last pocket in Baghouz )41(
)41( S#
Strong clashes between Syrian Demo- cratic Forces and remnants of ISIS )42(
)40( Sce# )42( D#
During the SDF liberation of Baghouz )43(
18
1. 2.
3. 4.
7.
793 SDF fighters fell martyr and 1,685 were wounded.
The city of Raqqa and its countryside, an area of 7,257km2, were completely liberated. More than 650,000 civilians and prisoners of ISIS were liberated from ISIS.
5,682 terrorists were killed. 1,236 bodies were recovered by SDF. 8,000 were wounded and 1,333 were captured by SDF.
Five factories for making weapons and military equipment, five factories for missile production, and ten factories for bomb and explosive production were destroyed. Various weapons, equip- ment, and vehicles were seized.
On September 9th, 2017, the Syrian Democratic Forces launched Operation Jazira Storm to liberate the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor from ISIS mercenaries. The town of Markada was liberated on November 9th, 2017, but the campaign paused at the beginning of 2018 due to the Turkish state’s aggression in the Afrin region with the aim of prolonging the existence of ISIS. Syrian Democratic Forces resumed the campaign in September 2018 in order to eliminate ISIS and begin liberating Afrin from terrorist groups working as mercenaries of the Erdogan regime. With strong momen- tum, the campaign to eliminate ISIS continued through many phases, liberating several towns and hundreds of villages (Al-Sour, al-Deshisha, Granig, al-Shifa, Al-Souss, Hajin, and Baghouz). Finally, the whole region was liberated from ISIS. The campaign achieved its final goal after eliminating the organization from its last pocket on March 23rd, 2019.
SDF Press Office (2019, March 3). Clashes with ISIS in its Last Pocket in Baghouz. Retrieved from https://
40 www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIvV-7q3jK4
41 SDF Press Office (2019, January 25) Fierce clashes Between Syrian Democratic Forces and the Remains of ISIS. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YytIiocGyFY
42 SDF Press Office (2018, September 22). Liberation of Baghouz Town. Retrieved from https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=n4MAsL9Yt3o
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•
The Strategic Importance of the Eastern Deir ez-Zor Countryside to ISIS:
An area rich in gas and petroleum, which includes oil fields such as Omar field, Al-Tanak, Al-Gafra and Kouniko. It also has good agricultural seasons, and thus was an essential financial source to the group.
It formed strategic depth between ISIS and its main centers in western Iraq.
It was a source of mercenary fighters and a place to spread their ideology.
A high percentage of the population of the region suffered from poverty and marginalization by the Syrian government, so ISIS had no difficulty presenting their caliphate as a solution to econom- ic problems.
Desert geography, an environment favored by the organization to hide and train their elements, as they did in Iraq during fighting in al-Anbar.
SDF Press Office (2019, March 7). The Surrender of Dozens of ISIS and the Emergence of a New Batch of Civil-
43
ians in Baghouz. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxdm2-giSUw
19
)43( Sur
Surrender of dozens of terrorist militants in Baghouz to SDF(44)
Photos show the coordination between SDF and the Iraqi Army to lead the military operation on the Iraq-Syria border against ISIS. Photos from the Syrian Democratic Forces Archive
