Northern Democratic Brigade

Northern Democratic Brigade
Arabic: لواء الشمال الديمقراطي‎‎ Participant in the Syrian Civil War
Emblem of the Northern Democratic Brigade. The unit also uses the the Syrian independence flag.
Active	c. 2013 – present
Ideology	Democracy Syrian nationalism
Leaders	Alexander Khalil Alexander Alaa Absi Taha ("Abu Omar") Khaled Zino (spokesperson)
Headquarters	Jabal Zawiya (2013–2014) Afrin Canton (2014–2015) Shahba region (since 2016)
Area of operations	Aleppo Governorate Idlib Governorate Raqqa Governorate Hasakah Governorate
Part of	Free Syrian Army Free Zawiya Union (2013–2014) Free Syria Brigade (2014) Syrian Revolutionaries Front (2013–2014) Syrian Salvation Front (2014) Army of Revolutionaries (2015–2016) Syrian Democratic Forces (since Nov. 2015)
Originated as	al-Qa'qa' Brigade
Allies	National Unity Brigades (2013–2014) Idlib Martyrs' Brigade (2013–2014) Kurdish Front (since 2014) Shahba Forces People's Protection Units (since 2014) Women's Protection Units (since 2014)
Opponents	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant  Turkey Turkish-backed rebel groups Al-Nusra Front Ahrar al-Sham Jund al-Aqsa (2014) Syrian Armed Forces (2013–2014)
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Idlib Governorate clashes (June 2012–April 2013) Battle of Aleppo (2012–2016) al-Nusra Front–SRF/Hazzm Movement conflict 2015 Al-Hawl offensive Turkish military intervention in Syria Western al-Bab offensive (September 2016) Western al-Bab offensive (October–November 2016) Battle of al-Bab Raqqa campaign (2016–present) Battle of Raqqa (2017)

Free Syrian Army

Syrian Civil War

The Northern Democratic Brigade (Arabic: لواء الشمال الديمقراطي‎‎) is a Free Syrian Army unit, led by Alexander Khalil, that is closely allied to the Syrian Kurdish YPG and YPJ in Afrin Canton since 2014. It also joined the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in November 2015. Most members of the group originated from Jabal Zawiya in Idlib.

The unit was formed in Idlib Governorate around 2013 and was originally known as the Free Syrian Army'sal-Qa'qa' Brigade (Arabic: لواء القعقاع‎‎), part of the Free Zawiya Brigade based in the Jabal Zawiya region of Idlib. In the course of 2014, it first joined the Free Syria Brigade, then switched to the Syrian Revolutionaries Front, and finally became part of the Syrian Salvation Front in May 2014. When the al-Nusra Front–SRF/Hazzm Movement conflict broke out, the al-Qa'qa' Brigade, then as part of the Syrian Salvation Front's Free Zawiya Union, was pushed out of the region by the al-Nusra Front, Jund al-Aqsa, and Ahrar al-Sham by November 2014, and withdrew north to the YPG-held Afrin Canton.