Military councils for local security and defense
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(
December 2019
)
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The
Syrian Democratic Forces
(SDF) has many
military councils
for local security and defense, each being accountable to the
civil council
of the area they operate in.
[1]
In 2016, the Syrian Democratic Forces established four military councils (three west of the
Euphrates
) in order to facilitate and conduct
military operations
; the
Manbij
Military Council, the
al-Bab
Military Council, the
Jarabulus
Military Council, and the
Deir ez-Zor
Military Council.
In 2017, the
Idlib
Military Council was founded in an attempt to gain influence in
Idlib Governorate
, much of which is controlled by
Turkish
-backed
opposition
groups.
[2]
In 2019, the SDF started to form new military councils in order to both
decentralize
the SDF, and to unify the military and security forces in the region.
[1]
As of June 2019, the military councils formed during this decentralization are the
Kobani
Military Council, the
Tal Abyad
Military Council, the
Tabqa
Military Council, the
al-Hawl
Military Council, the
Qamishli
Military Council, the
Raqqa
Military Council, the
Sere Kaniye
Military Council, the
Derik
Military Council, the
Hasakah
Military Council, and the
Amuda
Military Council.
Manbij
[
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]
The
Manbij Military Council
(MMC) is a coalition established by several groups in the SDF, the
Northern Sun Battalion
and the
Seljuk Brigade
, on 2 April 2016 at the
Tishrin Dam
on the
Euphrates
. The military council aimed to capture the city of
Manbij
across the river and many of the council members are local fighters from the surrounding areas.
Al-Bab
[
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]
The
Al-Bab Military Council
(BMC) is an ethnically mixed force of the
Syrian Democratic Forces
, consisting of
Kurdish
,
Arab
, and
Turkmen
militias from northern
Aleppo Governorate
. The BMC currently maintains a presence in several villages west of
Manbij
, though its stated goal is to capture
al-Bab
, currently under the
Turkish occupation of northern Syria
.
Jarabulus
[
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]
Jarabulus Military Council
|
---|
|
Flag of the Jarablus Military Council
|
Leaders
|
- Abdel Sattar al-Jader
†
[3]
- Col. Ali Hijo
[4]
- Massoud Allo
- Muhammad Ahmed
[5]
- Ahmed al-Jader
[5]
|
---|
Dates of operation
| August 2016 ? present
|
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Group(s)
|
|
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Headquarters
| Manbij
|
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Active regions
| Manbij District
,
Aleppo Governorate
|
---|
Battles and wars
|
|
---|
The
Jarabulus Military Council
is an SDF coalition in the Shahba Region formed by local fighters from the city of
Jarabulus
and the surrounding areas, who had fled from ISIL.
[7]
Abdel Sattar al-Jader, the initial leader of the Jarabulus Military Council and the commander of the Euphrates Jarabulus Brigades, was assassinated just prior to the
Turkish military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
, and the SDF have accused Turkish military intelligence of organizing the assassination.
[3]
The Jarabulus Military Council took part in the resistance against the
2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
, attacking Turkish-backed forces in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo.
[8]
Deir ez-Zor
[
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]
The
Deir ez-Zor Military Council
is an
Arab
-majority militia of the
Syrian Democratic Forces
(SDF), based in the
Deir ez-Zor Governorate
. It joined the SDF in 2016, having previously been part of the
Free Syrian Army
.
Idlib
[
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]
The
Idlib Military Council
was proposed, and partially organized by the SDF in an attempt to gain influence in
Idlib Governorate
and counter Turkey and the Syrian Army in the region. It was reportedly established in late 2017, with an official formation video filmed in
Idlib
being released on 21 October 2017 claiming that the council seeks to revive the Syrian revolution and expand it into combating
terrorism
and foreign occupation. In the video the council also declared its willingness to fight
Jabhat al-Nusra
and rid Idlib from their presence, the speaker in the video also described the council's opposition to the Syrian government and
Bashar al-Assad
and their support for the Syrian rebellion, though the council mostly disappeared thereafter.
[2]
[9]
In March 2018, however, the Idlib Military Council and other SDF units condemned the Turkish-led
Operation Olive Branch
against
Afrin Canton
and declared to help the YPG in defending the canton.
[10]
[11]
The council is also openly linked with the Syrian Democratic Forces' component the
Northern Democratic Brigade
with the group's leader Abu Ammar al-Idlibi stating his group's ambitions to expand operations into the Idlib Governorate and eventually control it and expel
Turkish forces
as well as rival groups active in the area.
[2]
Military councils formed since 2019
[
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]
Kobani
[
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]
The Kobani Military Council (
Kurdish
:
Meclisa Le?keri Ya Kobani
[12]
) was established on 16 June 2019, with Ismat Sheikh Hassan as its commander.
[13]
Tal Abyad
[
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]
The Tal Abyad Military Council (
Arabic
:
???? ?? ???? ???????
,
Kurdish
:
Meclisa Le?keri A Gire Spi
) was established on 17 June 2019, with Riyad Khamis al-Khalaf as its leader.
[14]
As a part of the
SDF-US-Turkish buffer zone deal
, the Tal Abyad Military Council filled positions left by the YPG in the Tal Abyad area, and has conducted joint patrols with the
American military
.
[15]
[16]
Tabqa
[
edit
]
The Tabqa Military Council (
Arabic
:
???? ?????? ???????
) was established on 18 June 2019, with the Council being headed by Mohammed Raouf.
[17]
Al-Hawl
[
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]
Tha al-Hawl Military Council (
Arabic
:
?????? ??????? ????? ?????
,
Kurdish
:
Meclisa Le?keri Ya Eyaleta Hole
) was founded on 19 June 2019.
[18]
Qamishli
[
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]
The Qamishli Military Council (
Kurdish
:
Meclisa Le?keri A Qami?lo
) was founded on 20 June 2019, with Piling Qami?lo being one of its co-presidents.
[19]
Raqqa
[
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]
The Raqqa Military Council (
Arabic
:
???? ????? ???????
,
Kurdish
: Meclisa Le?keri ya Reqaye) was founded on 21 June 2019, with Farhan al-Askar as its commander.
[20]
The council's Martyr Ilan Kobane Brigade fought in the
2020 Ayn Issa clashes
.
[21]
Sere Kaniye
[
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]
The Sere Kaniye Military Council (
Arabic
:
???? ??? ?????? ???????
,
Kurdish
:
Meclisa Le?geri Ya
Wa?ukani
) was founded on 27 June 2019.
[22]
As a part of the
SDF-US-Turkish buffer zone deal
, the Sere Kaniye Military Council filled positions left by the YPG in the Sere Kaniye area, and has conducted joint patrols with the
American military
on 4 September and 8 September 2019.
[23]
[16]
Derik
[
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]
The Derik Military Council (
Kurdish
:
Meclisa Le?keri Ya Derike
) was founded on 30 June 2019, with Kurdistan Derik as one of its co-presidents.
[24]
Hasakah
[
edit
]
The Hasakah Military Council (
Kurdish
:
Meclisa Le?geri A Heseke
) was formed on 4 July 2019.
[25]
Amuda
[
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]
The Amuda Military Council (
Kurdish
:
Meclisa Le?geri A Amude
,
Arabic
:
???? ?????? ???????
) was founded on 4 July 2019, with Amed Amude as its commander.
[26]
[27]
Ayn Issa
[
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]
The Ayn Issa Military Council,
[28]
also known as Gire Spi SDF Military Council,
[29]
is active since at least late 2020. It took part in the
2020?21 Ayn Issa clashes
.
[28]
References
[
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]
Works cited
[
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]
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