The Syrian Democratic Forces was a coalition of the Free Syrian Army and People's Protection Units (YPG) Kurdish forces in the Syrian Civil War. 60% of the SDF are Kurds and 40% non-Kurds, including Sunni Arabs, Turkmen, and Christian Assyrians. The force had a troop strength of 80,000 troops, including 50,000 YPG fighters.
History[]
Free Syrian Army and YPG troops of the SDF
The Syrian Democratic Forces was officially established on 15 October 2015 in Hesice (Hasakah), Syria, consisting of the People's Protection Units (YPG), Women's Protection Units (YPG), Syriac Military Council (MFS), Senadid, Thuwwar Raqqa, Burkan al-Firat, and the Syrian Arab Coalition. The operations room was likely established to combat the Islamic State to the east, as the YPG had a truce with the Syrian Arab Republic in Hasakah. The SDF was formed in opposition to the Islamic State, with some of the member groups being enemies of the mainstream Syrian Opposition as well, and the SDF liberated Shaddadi, al-Hawl, and Tishrin Dam, while launching offensives against Raqqa and Manbij. By 2017, the SDF had liberated Raqqa and several other IS strongholds, but its attempts to unite the Kurdish cantons of northern Syria were thwarted by a Turkish invasion of the area around Jarabulus.