page_title: Syrian Democratic Forces
section_title: 2018
hierarchical_section_title: Syrian Democratic Forces / Size, growth and composition / 2018
caption_attribution_description: English: Claimed territory of Rojava (in orange) not currently under control and the de facto territory controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (in green).
context_page_description: The Syrian Democratic Forces is an alliance in the Syrian Civil War composed primarily of Kurdish, Arab, and Assyrian/Syriac militias, as well as some smaller Armenian, Turkmen and Chechen forces. The SDF is militarily led by the People's Protection Units, a mostly Kurdish militia. Founded in October 2015, the SDF states its mission as fighting to create a secular, democratic and decentralized Syria. The updated December 2016 constitution of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria names the SDF as its official defence force.
  The primary opponents of the SDF are the various Islamist and Arab nationalist rebel groups involved in the civil war, in particular the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army, al-Qaeda affiliates, Turkey and their allies. The SDF has focused primarily on the Islamic State, successfully driving them from important strategic areas, such as Al-Hawl, Shaddadi, Tishrin Dam, Manbij, al-Tabqah, Tabqa Dam, Baath Dam, and ISIL's former capital of Raqqa. In March 2019, the SDF announced the total territorial defeat of the Islamic State in Syria, with the SDF taking control of the last stronghold in Baghuz.
context_section_description: On 13 January 2018, it was announced that the US-led Coalition would train a group called the Syrian Border Security Force (BSF), and would aim to reach 30,000 fighters, half of those being composed by current SDF members.
  On 20 January 2018, Kino Gabriel, the spokesman for the Syriac Military Council, was also made the spokesman for the SDF.
  In early June 2018, the Brigade For The Liberation of Idlib and Afrin, and the Idlib Revolutionaries Brigade where established.
  In July 2018, the first Sapper unit was established.
  On 1 August 2018, the first Special Forces Regiment was formed.
  On 24 September 2018, the Assyrian Democratic Party announced the creation of a united military leadership for Nattoreh and the Khabour Guards. The united force will known as the "Ashur Forces".
caption: SDF-controlled territory (green), claimed territory (orange), Turkish-occupied territory (red) in October 2019
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