Syrian Democratic Forces

alliance of militias fighting against ISIL and other Islamist extremists in the Syrian Civil War

Key facts

Leaders: Mazloum Abdi (SDF general) Kino Gabriel (SDF spokesman) Ferhad Şamî (SDF spokesman)
Dates of operation: 10 October 2015 – present
Allegiance: Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Syrian Democratic Council Syrian transitional government (since 2025, de jure )
Headquarters: Qamishli , Al-Hasakah , Syria
Active regions: Northern Syria Aleppo Governorate Hasakah Governorate Raqqa Governorate Deir ez-Zor Governorate
Ideology: List of ideologies Democracy Decentralization Secularism Regionalism Socialism Libertarian socialism Democratic confederalism Ethnic minority rights Kurdish minority interests Assyrian minority interests Jineology Pro-SDF Syrian opposition Kurdish nationalism
Size: 100,000 (2021 estimate) , 50,000–100,000 (2025 estimate)
Opponents: List of opponents Hezbollah Iran Islamic State Liwa Fatemiyoun Popular Mobilization Forces (sometimes) Popular Resistance of the Eastern Region Russia Ba'athist Syria (sometimes, until 2024) Syrian National Army (until 2025) Turkey Arab Tribal and Clan Forces
Designated as a terrorist group by: Turkey

Article

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a Kurdish-led coalition of left-wing ethnic militias and rebel groups, and serves as the official military wing of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES; also unofficially known as Rojava) since 2015. Founded on 10 October 2015, the stated mission of the SDF is to create a secular, democratic, and federalized Syria. The SDF is opposed by Turkey, who view the group as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is internationally designated a terrorist group.

Formed as a rebel alliance in the Syrian civil war with American support, the SDF is composed primarily of Kurdish, Arab, and Assyrian/Syriac, as well as some smaller Armenian, Turkmen, and Chechen forces. It is militarily led by the People's Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia which is designated as a terrorist group by both Turkey and Qatar. The SDF also includes several ethnic militias and various factions of the Syrian opposition's Free Syrian Army.