Jump to content

Rojava–Islamist conflict

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rojava–Islamist conflict
Part of the Rojava conflict of the Syrian civil war

Territories held by the SDF (yellow), IS (black), the SAA (red), the Syrian National Army and Turkey (light green), Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (white), and the Revolutionary Commando Army (teal) as of September 2023
Date16 July 2013 – present
(11 years, 4 months, 1 week and 1 day)
Location
Northern Syria
Result

Ongoing

Belligerents

Syrian Democratic Forces And allied groups


CJTF-OIR (airstrikes, arms, and ground troops) (from 2014)


 Russia (airstrikes, arms and ground troops)[9][10][11]
 Syria (arms, until 2016)[12][13][14]

Islamic State[15]

al-Nusra Front (2013–17)[15]
Ahrar ash-Sham[16]
Jaysh al-Islam
Syrian opposition Free Syrian Army factions

Fatah Halab (2015–17)

Supported by
Commanders and leaders
Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Salih Muslim Muhammad (PYD leader)
Sipan Hemo (YPG general commander)
Cemşîd Osman (YPG commander of Ras al-Ayn)
Nujin Derik (YPG commander of Aleppo)
Roshna Akeed (YPG Ras al-Ayn commander)
Syrian oppositionAutonomous Administration of North and East Syria Alaa Ajabu 
(Jabhat al-Akrad general commander)
Syrian oppositionAutonomous Administration of North and East Syria Abu Layla (DOW) (Jabhat al-Akrad and Northern Sun Battalion commander)
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi  (self-declared caliph)
Abu Ayman al-Iraqi  (head of military council)[28][29]
Abu Suleiman  (replacement military chief)[29]
Abu Omar al-Shishani  (field commander in Syria)
Abu Ali al-Anbari  (deputy, Syria)
Abu Musab[citation needed] (IS emir of Tell Abyad)
Unknown
Units involved

Syrian Democratic Forces

Foreign volunteers
Anarchist and antifascist units
Arab tribes
Security forces
IS Military Unknown
Strength

YPG: 65,000[48]
Jabhat al-Akrad: 7,000[49]
Syriac Military Council 2,000+ (2015)[50]

Kurdistan Workers' Party: 600[51]
IS: Over 15,140[52][53][54] al-Nusra Front: 5,000–6,000[55]
Casualties and losses
11,000 fighters killed
21,000 fighters wounded[56]
By YPG/SDF:
25,336 killed, 2,127 captured (YPG claim; 2013–2017 total)[57][58][59][60][61]
By US-led airstrikes:
9,145+ killed (SOHR claim, minimum, as of March 2019)[62]
Unknown
Dozens of Syrian and 4 Turkish[63][64] civilians killed and 100,000[65] Syrian Kurds fleeing to Turkey

The Rojava–Islamist conflict, a major theater in the Syrian civil war, started after fighting erupted between the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Islamist rebel factions in the city of Ras al-Ayn. Kurdish forces launched a campaign in an attempt to take control of the Islamist-controlled areas in the governorate of al-Hasakah and some parts of Raqqa and Aleppo governorates after al-Qaeda in Syria used those areas to attack the YPG. The Kurdish groups and their allies' goal was also to capture Kurdish areas from the Arab Islamist rebels and strengthen the autonomy of the region of Rojava.[66] The Syrian Democratic Forces would go on to take substantial territory from Islamist groups, in particular the Islamic State (IS), provoking Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War.

Background

[edit]

Since the end of the Battle of Ras al-Ayn, the city was divided between an Arab-controlled western part and a Kurdish-controlled eastern part.[67] On 16 July, members of the al-Nusra Front attacked a Women's Protection Units (YPJ) patrol. They detained the driver; two female fighters managed to escape. In response to this attack, the People's Protection Units (YPG) brought reinforcements from al-Derbasiya while al-Nusra had sent 200 fighters as reinforcements a few days before.[68]

Conflict

[edit]

2013

[edit]

On 28 January, Arab tribesmen attacked the homes of Christian Armenians and Assyrians in the village of ad-Dalawiyah (25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Qamishli) and attempted to steal their harvest. The Assyrian Democratic Organization condemned the attacks, characterising them as "foreign deeds". Islamist rebels repeatedly called for Christians in the province to leave.[69]

Kurdish capture of Ras al-Ayn and spread of fighting

[edit]

On 16 July, the Kana'is street (where the YPG was positioned) and the al-Mahatta neighborhood (where al-Nusra was positioned) witnessed clashes.[68] A few hours later, the YPG took control of the headquarters of al-Nusra and released the fighter al-Nusra had kidnapped.[70]

On 17 July, Kurdish fighters expelled the jihadists from the town of Ras al-Ayn after a night of fighting[71] and soon after took control of the border crossing with Turkey.[72] Islamist forces retreated from Ras al-Ayn to Tal Half, Asfar and Najar which were under rebel control.[73] Eleven people were killed during the fighting, including nine jihadist and two Kurdish fighters.[74]

On 19 July, the YPG captured the village of Tal A'lo.[75] Fighting was still continuing in Karhouk and A'li Agha.[76] The next day, Kurdish fighters captured an al-Nusra checkpoint near the contested villages. By this point, 35 jihadist and 19 YPG fighters had been killed in the fighting.[77]

By the end of July 2013, IS and al-Nusra expelled Jabhat al-Akrad and the YPG from the border town of Tell Abyad after a week of fighting which displaced thousands of Kurdish civilians.[78]

August–September fighting and Kurdish advances

[edit]

On 1 August, IS declared the start of the siege of Kobanî, or Ayn al-Arab where the headquarters of the YPG is located. The area surrounding Kobani was then blocked on all sides by IS and the Turks.[79]

By August 28, Islamists and Kurdish forces were battling for control of the town of Yarubiya on the Iraq–Syria border. Islamists had captured further territory from the Kurds in Aleppo and Raqqa provinces; while in Aleppo, Islamists were ethnically cleansing Kurds from towns in the countryside and massacring them, leading to a mass migration of civilians to the town of Afrin.[80]

On 17 September, in the Al-Hasakah Governorate, Fighting broke out between Kurdish fighters and Islamist fighters in A'louk village that lies east of Ras al-A'in while fighting still took place near the town of al-Ya'rubiya. On 18 September, YPG took control of A'louk after four days of fighting that killed 20 people.[81]

On 26 September, rebels from the Free Syrian Army and Trotskyists of the Leon Sedov Brigade[82] joined IS in clashes with YPG forces around the town of Atma, on the Turkish border. FSA units were said to have brought heavy artillery to the battle to push back Kurdish snipers while Kurdish tanks were firing at Atma. Arab rebel artillery was launched at the town of Jindires.[83]

On 29 September, multiple bombers attacked Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Six people were killed and more than 40 were injured. The IS later claimed responsibility and stated the attacks were retaliation for Masoud Barzani's stated intention of intervening in Syria on behalf of the Syrian Kurds.[84]

October Kurdish offensive

[edit]

On 26 October the YPG took control of the al-Yaarubiyah border crossing with Iraq[85] as well as the town itself.[86]

On 28 October, IS front in the oil-rich Çil Axa region completely collapsed. The YPG captured the villages of Girhok, Yusufiyê, Sefa, Cinêdiyê, Girê Fatê, Ebû Hecer and Mezraa Kelem while remnants of IS forces fled to Tal Hamis and Tal Brak.[87]

November Kurdish offensive

[edit]

On 2 November, Kurdish forces launched an offensive called the "Serekeniye Martyrs' Offensive", with the aim of consolidating their control of Hasaka province by pushing jihadist forces out of the area surrounding Ras al-Ayn.[88]

On 6 November, in Hasakah province, the YPG took over two villages west of Tall Tamer, on the highway to Aleppo, after clashes with IS, Jabhat Al-Nusra and allied rebel groups. The towns the YPG had taken over were Ghebesh and Tal Shemarin, which are inhabited by Assyrians.[89] By this point, YPG forces had captured a total of 40 towns and villages in the offensive.[90]

On 13 November, following major gains by the YPG, the PYD announced plans to create an autonomous transitional government to run the Kurdish-majority northeast of Syria. The plans were announced after a meeting in Qamishli that also involved Christian and Arab groups. The plan called for the creation of a parliament of 82 members elected from three cantons across the region. Kurdish officials also stated that the region would continue to be managed autonomously regardless of events elsewhere. In Raqqa province, rebel fighters launched domestically manufactured rockets on the villages of Kandar and Abdi Kawi which were under the control of the YPG.[91]

On 28 November, in Al-Hasakah province, YPG fighters took of three villages (Rokoba, A'wja, and Tal Maghas) which lie on the Tal Tamer-Hasaka road after violent clashes with IS, al-Nusra and several rebel battalions.[92]

December Kurdish offensive

[edit]

During the night of 26/27 December, the YPG launched an offensive on jihadist-controlled areas between Hasakah and Qamishli, during which they took Tell Brak District.

On 1 January 2014, the YPG battled the Islamists in Tell Brak, but were not able to capture the town. The battle caused 39 YPG and 21 Islamist fatalities.[93]

2014

[edit]

January–February Islamist offensive and Kurdish counter-offensive

[edit]

On 24 January, jihadist forces attacked the YPG-held town of Manajeer in the Al-Hasakah Governorate. However, after four days of fighting, their attack was repelled. Twenty-three Islamist and three Kurdish fighters were killed. During the fighting, the YPG also captured at least one tank from the jihadists.[94]

On 1 February, it was reported that the YPG launched an offensive against IS bases in Tell Abyad.[95]

On 3 February, the YPG claimed to have killed 8 IS fighters, including a commander, during clashes in Girê Spî.[96]

On 15 February, the YPG (supported by the Shammar tribe) launched an offensive against IS in the Tell Hamis area. Two days later, the YPG claimed to have killed "many" IS fighters and captured 30 of them, in addition to capturing five military vehicles and a large amount of weaponry during the operation.[97]

On 23 February, a predawn raid by the YPG captured Tell Brak, which lies in a strategic position between Al-Hasakah and Qamishli.[93]

On 26 February, the YPG announced it had halted all its military operations in the Kurdish-controlled regions but warned its enemies that it would respond to every hostile action on Kurdish soil.[98] The next day, IS launched an attack on Til Merûf which was eventually repelled by the YPG. According to the YPG, 16 IS fighters were killed in the clashes.[99]

March–April fighting at Tell Abyad and Kobanê

[edit]

On 1 March, IS attacked villages around Tell Abyad but the attack was repelled and left one IS fighter killed, according to the YPG.[100] On 6 March, the YPG claimed to have killed 16 IS fighters and destroyed a "military vehicle" in Tell Abyad.[101]

On 11 March, IS captured the town of Sîrîn[102] and attacked the Al-Hadaya Hotel in the city of Qamishli with suicide bombs, killing nine Kurdish civilians.[103] SOHR also reported that IS executed 25 Kurds (including 14 fighters) in the Al-Sheyokh area, near Jarabulus.[104] On 13 March, IS (according to local sources) captured the Qereqozak Bridge and some strategic areas near the Tomb of Suleyman Shah in Kobanê after clashes with Kurdish fighters.[105] On 14 March, Kurdish sources claimed that the YPG and allied forces killed 35 IS fighters in clashes in the countryside of southern Kobanî Canton, which erupted after IS launched an unsuccessful attack towards the Serriin silos.[106]

On 17 March, heavy clashes erupted between the YPG and IS near the Qereqozak Bridge in Kobanê. The YPG claimed to have killed 40 IS fighters.[107] On 19 March, the YPG captured Tell Henzir village.[108] The next day, the YPG also took control of Tell Henzir, Tell Xezal Miço, Ferisa Şerabiyan, Ferisa Sofiyan, Ferisa Dişo, Tell Boğan and Tell Meha. It was also stated that 32 IS fighters were killed in the clashes.[109]

On 22 March, SOHR reported heavy clashes between IS and the YPG around many villages in the western countryside of Tell Abyad, which resulted in the fleeing of mainly Kurdish refugees from the western countryside of Tell Abyad and surrounding areas to Turkey.[104]

On 1 April, IS laid siege to Kobanê from three flanks, and launched an artillery attack from Zor Mughar. The YPG ambushed IS forces at Kendal, east of Kobanê, killing 12 Azeri IS fighters and their Kurdish commander.[110] Fighting raged in Zor Mughar and Kharab Atto while YPG fighters cut off all the roads leading to Kobanê from the western side, starting from the villages of Ta'lk, Derbazin and al-Qanaya, to prevent potential attacks by IS fighters against the city.[111] Despite YPG control of the hills around Sirrin, IS forces, backed up by tanks, captured two grain silos and seized the village of Tal al-Bawgha.[110]

The YPG, the Euphrates Islamic Liberation Front, Liwa Ahrar Souriya and the Liwa Thuwwar al-Raqqa worked together against IS in Kobanê.[112] The YPG also co-operated with the Farouq Brigades and the Liwa Thuwwar al-Raqqa in Raqqa Governorate in operations against IS.[112]

May kidnappings

[edit]

On 29 May, it was reported that IS killed dozens of civilians in raids on several villages in the Ras al-Ayn region of Al-Hasakah province, with the retrieval of at least 15 bodies, including seven children.[113]

On 30 May, IS kidnapped 193 Kurdish civilians between the ages of 17 and 70 from the village of Qabasin near al-Bab. On the same day, they seized up to 186 Kurdish students who had been traveling from the Kobani region to Aleppo to complete exams.[114] The teenagers were reportedly sent to religious schools in Minjeb where they were subjected to Salafist indoctrination.[115]

July Kobanî offensive

[edit]

On 4 July, using weapons captured in Iraq, IS seized the villages of Zor Maghar, Al-Zyara, and Bayadiyah, near the city of Kobanî, after three days of fighting with YPG forces.[116]

On 9 July, IS advanced towards Kobanî from the east, forcing the YPG to withdraw from the villages of Abdi, Kwi, Kendal, Kri and Sor.[117] The clashes led to the deaths of 18 Kurdish fighters.[118]

On 14 July, the PYD issued a regional call to arms for all Kurds to assist in defending Kobanî. Kurdish militants from the PKK crossed from Turkey to reinforce YPG defensive positions. By this time, at least 10 villages had fallen to IS, who had begun to lob mortars at Kobanî. At least two PKK fighters were killed while defending the canton.[119]

By the end of July, according to the PYD, IS offensive against Kobanî had been repelled, with 685 IS fighters being killed.[120]

September Kobanî offensive

[edit]
Frontline situation near Kobanî from March–September 2014
Kurdish demonstration against IS in Vienna, Austria, 10 October 2014

On 17 September, following the capture of a strategic bridge over the Euphrates,[121] IS launched a large offensive using tanks, rockets and artillery in the direction of Kobanî, and within 24 hours captured 21 Kurdish villages. The advance left Kobanî encircled by IS forces.[122]

On 19 September, IS captured 39 more villages,[123] bringing their forces within 20 kilometers of Kobanî.[124] Forty-five thousand refugees crossed into Turkey, fearing the region would become part of IS,[125] while a number of refugees were stopped at the border and ordered to return to Kobanî by Turkish authorities.[126]

By 21 September, IS captured 64 villages[127] as their forces came within 10 kilometers of the city, and continued to advance[128] with fighting concentrated on the southern and eastern suburbs of Kobanî, 13 kilometers from the town.[129]

On 28 September, after violent clashes with the Kurdish forces of the YPG, IS militants captured the villages of Kenana, Qadaa, and Hamadaneh in the Tel Kocher (Yarubiyah) countryside.[130]

Merger with Iraqi campaign

[edit]

Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, with the aid of troops from the Syria-based Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), took control of the Rabia border crossing between the two countries,[131] marking the first major battle to straddle both. On 31 October, Iraq-based Peshmerga troops crossed into Syria via Turkey to aid in the defense of the border city of Kobane.[132]

2015

[edit]

January–December

[edit]
Rojava territory controlled by the YPG in June 2015

The war dragged on, as both IS and the YPG gained and lost territory to each other, other rebel groups and loyalists. YPG successes alarmed the Turks, who threatened invasion.[133] In June, militants attacked Kobanî, killing over 200 people in gun battles.

Nusra-YPG clashes

[edit]

On 31 July 2015, clashes erupted between YPG and al-Nusra forces in the south of the Efrin Canton, targeting the town of Cindires.[134]

On 26 September 2015, clashes erupted between YPG and al-Nusra forces in the YPG-held district of Sheikh Maqsood. The clashes resulted in YPG forces advancing and capturing Castello Road, a key rebel supply line in the rebel-held Eastern Areas of Aleppo city. Tensions continued after the YPG allegedly violated clauses of a truce with the rebels concerning Castello Road. On 1 October Nusra forces again attacked YPG positions in Sheikh Maqsood; however this was repelled, with the YPG remaining in control of the key rebel supply route.[135][136][137]

Clashes between YPG-Al Nusra were renewed in the vicinity of Sheikh Maqsood on 3 October, with Al Nusra suffering 15 casualties.[138]

Map of the territory changes during the YPG-led Northern Syria offensive (2015)

Al-Hawl offensive

[edit]
YPG female fighters during the Al-Hawl offensive, December 2015

During November 2015, the YPG and its allies in the Syrian Democratic Forces captured the town of al-Hawl, along with more than 200 villages and towns from IS in the surrounding areas in Al-Hasakah Governorate near the border with Iraq in the month-long offensive.

Tishrin Dam offensive

[edit]

In the week-long offensive, the SDF captured Tishrin Dam and surrounding villages from IS.

2016

[edit]

Northern Aleppo offensive

[edit]

During February 2016, Syrian government forces and allied militias, backed by Russian and Syrian airstrikes, launched an offensive to capture areas in Northern Aleppo. The YPG-led SDF followed their advances and captured the city of Tell Rifaat and the Menagh Military Airbase.

Al-Shaddadi offensive

[edit]

On 16 February 2016, the SDF, supported by airstrikes from the US-led coalition, launched an offensive to capture the strategic city of al-Shaddadi from IS.

Manbij offensive

[edit]
SDF fighters during the Battle of Raqqa against IS in 2017

On 31 May 2016, the SDF, supported by airstrikes from the US-led coalition, launched an offensive to capture the strategic city of Manbij from IS.

Afrin Canton

[edit]

On 11 September 2016 Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, the renamed al-Nusra Front, fired over 20 mortar shells at the town of Jindires in the southwestern Afrin Canton, destroying several residential buildings and causing a number of casualties, mostly women and children.[139]

Raqqa offensive

[edit]

Turkish intervention (2015-present)

[edit]
Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army during the Turkish military operation in Afrin in January 2018

During the summer of 2015, Turkey began bombing YPG and PKK positions in Syria and Iraq.[140]

On 13 February 2016, Turkey began shelling the Kurdish-held areas in northern Syria.[141]

2017

[edit]

2018

[edit]

2019

[edit]

2020

[edit]

2021

[edit]

2022

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "ISIS targeted in more U.S. airstrikes to defend Syria town of Kobani". CBS News. 11 October 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  2. ^ "France will keep delivering arms to Kurdish Syrian rebels to fight Islamic State group". Fox News. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  3. ^ "Elite Forces led by former Syrian opposition chief join fight against ISIS". ARA News. December 11, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2016.
  4. ^ "The UAE has it in for the Muslim Brotherhood". Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. 22 February 2017. Along with their American counterparts, Emirati special forces are said to be training elements of the opposition. They constitute a kind of Arab guarantee among the Syrian Democratic Forces – an umbrella group dominated by the Kurds of the PYD, on whom the US are relying to fight IS on the ground.
  5. ^ a b "U.S. Seeks Arab Force and Funding for Syria". Wall Street Journal. 16 April 2018. Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. helped pay the stipends for the Syrian fighters the U.S. is supporting
  6. ^ "Saudi Arabia in talks with YPG to form new force". Daily Sabah. 30 May 2018.
  7. ^ "News of arrests of YPG-linked Czechs shocks Turkey". Al-Monitor. 17 November 2016. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016.
  8. ^ "Peshmerga fighters 'heavily shelling' IS jihadists in Kobane". Yahoo News. 4 November 2014.
  9. ^ Grove, Thomas (April 21, 2016). "Russia Pursues Ties With Kurds to Keep Foothold in Region". Wall Street Journal.
  10. ^ "Kurds attack Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces with Russian help". i24 News. 28 November 2015.
  11. ^ "YPG advances near Turkey's border". Rudaw Media Network. 28 November 2015.
  12. ^ "You are being redirected..." Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  13. ^ "Syrian Kurds recruit regime loyalists to fight jihadists - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 2017-08-03.
  14. ^ "Assad regime says it will continue to provide weaponry, money to Kurds". DailySabah. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  15. ^ a b "En Syrie, les Kurdes infligent une cuisante défaite aux jihadistes". 18 July 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  16. ^ The New Arab (28 September 2015). "Syrian rebels and Kurds battle for control of Aleppo". alaraby.
  17. ^ Sami Kohen (26 December 2015). "Suriye Türkmenleri dört cephede savaşıyor (Syrian Turkmen fighting on 4 fronts)". Milliyet. Retrieved 27 December 2015. Statement: "Kurdish people is not our enemy, but PYD and YPG are, because they kicked Turkmen from their homes, burned villages and are currently trying to displace Turkmen and help Assad against them"
  18. ^ Richard Spencer; Raf Sanchez (12 September 2014). "Turkish government co-operated with al-Qaeda in Syria, says former US ambassador". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  19. ^ Rojava: Syria's Unknown War. YouTube. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  20. ^ "Turkey shells northern Syria for second day: monitor". Reuters. 14 February 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  21. ^ Roberts, Dr David (6 March 2015). "Is Qatar bringing the Nusra Front in from the cold?". BBC News.
  22. ^ "Qatar breaks Arab League ranks to support Turkey bombing in Iraq". Middle East Eye.
  23. ^ David Blair; Richard Spencer (20 September 2014). "How Qatar is funding the rise of Islamist extremists". Telegraph.co.uk.
  24. ^ "Gulf allies and 'Army of Conquest'". 28 May 2015. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  25. ^ "The Rise of Jaysh al-Fateh in Northern Syria". Jamestown. 12 June 2015.
  26. ^ "Victory for Assad looks increasingly likely as world loses interest in Syria". The Guardian. 31 August 2017. Returning from a summit in the Saudi capital last week, opposition leaders say they were told directly by the foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, that Riyadh was disengaging.
  27. ^ "Syria's Kurds Have Nearly Tripled Their Territory Fighting the Islamic State in 2015". Vice News. 23 December 2015.
  28. ^ "Military Skill and Terrorist Technique Fuel Success of ISIS". The New York Times. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  29. ^ a b Alessandria Masi (11 November 2014). "If ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Is Killed, Who Is Caliph Of The Islamic State Group?". International Business Times. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  30. ^ "YPG and FSA launch joint military operations against Islamic State in northern Syria". ARA News. 13 September 2014. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  31. ^ "Who and what are the Kurds fighting for?". Al-Araby. 3 December 2015.
  32. ^ Abu Zeid, Osama; Hamou, Ammar; Kieke, Samuel (12 November 2015). "Jabhat Thuwar A-Raqqa 'an essential component of the SDF'". Syria:direct. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  33. ^ Szakola, Albin (26 May 2016). "New rebel force battling ISIS in northeast Syria". Now News. Archived from the original on 27 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  34. ^ "Kurds deny ethnically cleansing Arabs". mmedia.me. 3 June 2015. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  35. ^ "Qandil Post report from Tal Hamis frontline". YouTube. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  36. ^ "Meet the PKK 'Terrorists' Battling the Islamic State on the Frontlines of Iraq". Vice News. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  37. ^ "Two Spaniards arrested on return from fighting ISIS in Syria". EL PAÍS. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  38. ^ (Texto en turco) http://www.ozgur-gundem.com/haber/170982/ozgurluk-ve-sosyalizmin-gulen-yuzuydu Archived 2017-02-22 at the Wayback Machine Consultado el 22 de julio de 2016
  39. ^ Comunistas españoles contra Daesh http://kaosenlared.net/video-comunistas-espanoles-contra-estado-islamico/ Consultado el 22 de julio de 2016
  40. ^ Anarquistas en Rojava http://325.nostate.net/tag/sosyal-isyan-social-rebellion/ Archived 2018-06-12 at the Wayback Machine Consultado el 22 de julio de 2016
  41. ^ Anarquistas ecologistas en Rojava (texto en turco) http://sosyalsavas.org/2015/02/rojava-ve-kobanedeki-yeniden-insaa-surecinde-anarsist-ve-ekolojist-gerillalar/ Archived 2017-08-14 at the Wayback Machine Consultado el 22 de julio de 2016
  42. ^ DAF cruzan a Kobane a combatir y otros a reconstruir la ciudad en septiembre de 2014 http://www.alasbarricadas.org/noticias/node/32460 Consultado el 22 de julio de 2016
  43. ^ Anarquistas españoles en Rojava (texto en turco) http://sosyalsavas.org/2015/09/iberyadan-rojavaya-anarsist-dayanisma/ Archived 2016-08-16 at the Wayback Machine Consultado el 22 de julio de 2016
  44. ^ "400 Sheitat tribesmen joined U.S.-backed alliance to fight ISIS: sources". Syria News. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  45. ^ a b Haras, Nicholas A. (24 October 2013). "The Battle for Syria's Al-Hasakah Province". Combating Terrorism Center. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  46. ^ van Wilgenburg, Wladimir (13 December 2013). "Kurdish Strategy Towards Ethnically-Mixed Areas in the Syrian Conflict". Terrorism Monitor. 11 (23). Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  47. ^ "Die Welt: Die Christen in Syrien ziehen in die Schlacht". Die Welt (in German). 23 October 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  48. ^ "Will the Islamic State last through 2015?". Today's Zaman. Archived from the original on 5 January 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  49. ^ Civiroglu, Mutlu (11 August 2013). "Kurdish Commander: Jihadi Groups in Syria Have Hijacked FSA". Rudaw English. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  50. ^ "Syrien: Christen lassen sich von IS nicht vertreiben". Die Welt. 14 March 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  51. ^ "Syrian Kurds escape ISIS, cross into Turkey". 21 September 2014. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  52. ^ Shoumali, Karam; Barnard, Anne (6 October 2014). "Slaughter Is Feared as ISIS Nears Turkish Border". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  53. ^ "YPG fighters seize 90% of the city of Ayn Arab "Kobani"". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  54. ^ 6,000+ in the Al-Hasakah offensive (February–March 2015); 2,000+ (Tell Hamis area),[1] 3,000+ including reinforcements (Tell Tamer region),[citation needed] ≈1,000 (Tell Khanzir area),"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  55. ^ "Why Is Jabhat al-Nusra No Longer Useful to Turkey?". USNews. 11 June 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  56. ^ "US-backed Syrian force declares victory over Islamic State; end of caliphate." Fox News. March 23, 2019. Citing: Rudaw English.
  57. ^ "YPG release balance sheet of war for 2013". Firatnews. 23 December 2013. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  58. ^ "YPG releases balance-sheet of 2014: Nearly 5,000 ISIS members killed". BestaNûçe Bestanuce.com. Archived from the original on 2015-01-02.
  59. ^ "More than 5500 ISIS militants killed in clashes with Syrian Kurds in 2015 - ARA News". 1 January 2016. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  60. ^ "YPG releases balance sheet of war for 2016". ANF News.
  61. ^ "YPG balance sheet for 2017". Rudaw.net. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
  62. ^ "Since its participation in military operations in Syria, the International Coalition kills more than 4000 civilians out of 14000 killed on the Syrian soil". SOHR. February 26, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  63. ^ "Euronews Report". Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  64. ^ "Syrian conflict: Many dead in Lebanon border air strike". BBC News. 3 August 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  65. ^ "Syria refugee flood to Turkey hits 100,000". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  66. ^ "Syrie: les Kurdes combattent les jihadistes pour imposer leur autonomie - Dernières Infos - L'Orient-Le Jour". L'Orient-Le Jour. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  67. ^ "Chatting About 'Game of Thrones' with Syria's Most Feared Islamic Militants - VICE United States". VICE. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  68. ^ a b Wladimir van Wilgenburg (16 July 2013). "Clashes Re-Erupt". Al Monitor. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  69. ^ "Al-Hasakah: Arab tribe members attack Christians". KurdWatch. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  70. ^ "Serekaniye Clashes". 16 July 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2017. Support Kurds in Syria – SKS
  71. ^ "Jihadists expelled from flashpoint Kurdish Syrian town, NGO says". AFP. 17 July 2013. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  72. ^ AFP, "Syrie: les Kurdes infligent une cuisante défaite aux jihadistes", L'Orient le Jour, 17 July 2013.
  73. ^ "YPG clears Serekaniye of armed groups". Support Kurds in Syria. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  74. ^ "Syrian Kurds Expel Radical Islamists From Town". BusinessWeek. 17 July 2013. Archived from the original on August 22, 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  75. ^ "Friday 19 July 2013". Support Kurds in Syria. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  76. ^ "Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Reports On PKK-Qaida Fight". Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  77. ^ "Syria Kurds expel jihadists, seize weapons: NGO". Fox News. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  78. ^ "Selected testimonies from victims of the Syrian conflict" (PDF). Human Rights Council. 16 September 2014.
  79. ^ ""اŮ"Řźůšř´ اŮ"ŘŘą" Ůšřšů"ن بؿřą اŮ"ŘŘľř§Řą Ů"Ů…Řżůšů†Řš "Řšůšů† Řšřąř¨".. ŮˆŘłůš ءعů Ůšř¨Řąů… Řľřşů اŮ'Ůšř§Řş Ů…Řš اŮ"Ů€Pkk Ů‡Ůˆ Řžř§Řśů† Ů"Ů"ه ŮˆŘ§Ů"ŘąřłůˆŮ" ŮˆŮ"Řźů…اؚřš اŮ"Ů…Řłů"Ů…Ůšů† | Řąřاب نٚůˆŘ˛ Rihab News". Rihabnews.com. 2013-08-01. Archived from the original on 2013-10-28. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  80. ^ Doornbos, Harald; Moussa, Jenan (2013-08-28). "The Civil War Within Syria's Civil War". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  81. ^ "Syrie: les Kurdes chassent des jihadistes d'un village du nord-est". L'Orient-Le Jour. 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  82. ^ Roche, Cody (5 December 2017). "The Trotskyist León Sedov Brigade in the Syrian Revolution". Medium. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  83. ^ "Arabs battle Syrian Kurds as Assad's foes fragment". Reuters. 27 September 2013. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.
  84. ^ "6 Killed and Dozens Injured in Erbil Suicide Attacks". Rudaw. 29 September 2013.
  85. ^ "Kurds rout Syria jihadists on Iraq border: activists". The Daily Star. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  86. ^ "Kurdish Fighters Gain Control of Syria-Iraq Border Town", Rudaw.net
  87. ^ "Operasyona YPG'ê didome: 6 gund hatin rizgarkirin – HATE NÛKIRIN". Hawar News Agency. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  88. ^ "The Serekeniye Martyr's Offensive: Kurds Consolidate Control in Hasaka". Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  89. ^ "Thursday 7 November 2013". 8 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  90. ^ "YPG liberated Til Temir". Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  91. ^ "Syria's Kurds move towards autonomy with announcement of transitional government". Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  92. ^ "YPG fighters took hold of 3 more villages". Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  93. ^ a b "Tal Brak Takeover". Reuters. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  94. ^ "YPG successfully defends Manajir from ISIS". Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  95. ^ "YPG Til Ebeyd Operation". Hawar News Agency. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  96. ^ "Gire Spi Clashes". Hawar News Agency. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  97. ^ "30 ISIS Fighters Captured". Hawar News Agency. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  98. ^ "Til Meruf Under Attack". Hawar News Agency. 27 February 2014. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  99. ^ "Til Meruf Fighting". Hawar News Agency. 2 March 2014. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  100. ^ "2 ISIS attacked Til Ebyed's villages". Hawar News Agency. 1 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  101. ^ "16 ISIS gangs killed in Til Ebyad". Hawar News Agency. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  102. ^ "ISIS seizes Sîrîn". Hawar News Agency. 11 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  103. ^ Wladimir van Wilgenburg (13 March 2014). "ISIS suicide attacks target Syrian Kurdish capital". Al Monitor. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  104. ^ a b "Violent clashes between ISIS and YPG taking place in Raqqa". 22 March 2014. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  105. ^ "ISIS gangs seized Qereqozaq Bridge in Kobanê". Hawar News Agency. 13 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  106. ^ "Y P G: 35 Daesh elements killed". Hawar News Agency. 14 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  107. ^ "Clashes continue in Kobanê: 40 ISIS members killed". Hawar News Agency. 17 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  108. ^ "YPG liberated Til Xenzîr". Hawar News Agency. 19 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  109. ^ "Another town liberated by YPG Forces". Hawar News Agency. 20 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  110. ^ a b Fehim Tastekin (4 April 2014). "Syrian Kurds appeal for help to prevent fall of Ain al-Arab". Al Monitor. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  111. ^ "EurosPTP - Gagnez de l'argent facilement EXP". exp.eurosptp.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2014.
  112. ^ a b "A new dialogue and collaboration in northern Syria between kurds and rebels". The Arab Chronicle. 5 March 2014. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  113. ^ "ISIS raid Serêkaniyê villages". Firatnews.com. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  114. ^ "Nearly 200 Kurds kidnapped in Syria". iol news. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  115. ^ James Harkin (26 June 2014). "Up to 186 Kurdish students kidnapped by Isis in northern Syria". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  116. ^ "Jihadists control all main Syria oilfields: NGO". Yahoo! News. AFP. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  117. ^ "المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان - المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان.
  118. ^ "ISIS steps up assault on Kurds in Syria's north". Daily Star. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  119. ^ "Kurds go to Syria from Turkey to fight Islamists". Reuters. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  120. ^ "YPG: Nearly 700 Islamic Militants Killed in Kobanê Fighting in July". Rudaw.net. 3 August 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  121. ^ Ayla Albayrak; Joe Parkinson; David Gauthier-Villars (19 September 2014). "Thousands of Syrian Kurds Flee Islamic State Fighters Into Turkey". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  122. ^ "In Major Assault, IS Fighters Seize Kurdish Villages in Syria". VOA. 18 September 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  123. ^ "Syrian Kurds warn of mounting crisis as ISIS advances, takes more villages". 19 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  124. ^ "Kurdish leader urges world to protect Syrian town from Islamic State". Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  125. ^ "45.000 Refugees". Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  126. ^ "Refugees Stopped at the border". Euronews. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  127. ^ "Kurds issue new call to arms against Islamic State in Syria", The Malay, 21 September 2014.
  128. ^ "Elijah J Magnier". Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  129. ^ "Syria refugee flood to Turkey hits 100,000", The Washington Post, 21 September 2014.
  130. ^ "Syria: ISIL Islamists attack Kurdish border city", ARA News, 18 September 2014.
  131. ^ "Kurds seize Iraq/Syria border post; Sunni tribe joins anti-ISIL fight". TodaysZaman. 1 October 2014. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  132. ^ "Kurdish peshmerga forces enter Syria's Kobani after further air strikes". Reuters. 31 October 2014.
  133. ^ "Turkey will 'never allow' Kurdish state in Syria warns Erdogan". Yahoo News. 27 June 2015.
  134. ^ "Clashes erupt between YPG and Nusra near Syria's Afrin - ARA News". ARA News. 31 July 2015. Archived from the original on July 31, 2015.
  135. ^ "Kurds clash with Qaeda militants in Aleppo". ARA News. 27 September 2015. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015.
  136. ^ "Victory Army and YPG trade accusations over Sheikh Maqsoud crossing". Syria Direct. 30 September 2015.
  137. ^ "YPG - Kurdish". Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  138. ^ "YPG - Kurdish". Archived from the original on 7 October 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  139. ^ "Islamist rebels attack Kurdish town northwest Syria". ARA News. 12 September 2016. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016.
  140. ^ "Syrian Kurds accuse Turkey of attacking their forces". BBC News. 27 July 2015.
  141. ^ "Turkish PM confirms shelling of Kurdish forces in Syria". The Guardian. Reuters. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.