People's Protection Units
| People's Protection Units | |
|---|---|
|
Yekîneyên Parastina Gel (YPG) وحدات حماية الشعب |
|
YPG flag
|
|
| Active | 2011–present |
| Allegiance |
Federation of Northern Syria – Rojava (2012–present) |
| Type | Light infantry militia |
| Size | 50,000 |
| Part of | Syrian Democratic Forces |
| Motto(s) | YPG dimeşe, erd û ezman diheje (YPG is marching, and the earth and sky [or heavens] tremble) |
| Engagements | |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| General Commander | Sîpan Hemo |
| Spokesperson | Rêdûr Xelîl |
| Spokesperson | Xebat Îbrahîm |
| Special forces commander | Ali Boutan † |
| Notable commanders |
Ciwan Îbrahîm, Roşna Akêd |
Federation of Northern Syria – Rojava (2012–present)
The People's Protection Units (Kurdish: Yekîneyên Parastina Gel, یەکینەکانی پاراستنی گەل pronounced [jɑkinæjen pɑrɑstinɑ gæl]; YPG) is the militia of the Democratic Union Party, the primary component of Rojava's Syrian Democratic Forces, and the Syrian affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The YPG is overwhelmingly ethnically Kurdish, but it also includes Arabs, Western volunteers, and the Syriac Military Council, a militia of Assyrian Christians.
The YPG was formed in 2004 as the armed wing of the Kurdish leftist-nationalist Democratic Union Party. It expanded rapidly in the Syrian Civil War and grew to predominance over other armed Kurdish groups as the only Kurdish group able to withstand Islamist rebels. In early 2015, the group won a major victory over the Islamic State at the Siege of Kobanî, where the YPG began to receive air and ground support from the United States and other coalition nations. Since then, the YPG has primarily fought against ISIL, on occasion fighting Euphrates Shield rebels as well. In late 2015, the YPG founded the Syrian Democratic Forces upon the US's urging as an umbrella group to better incorporate Arabs and minorities into the war effort. The Raqqa offensive was launched by the YPG in late 2016 to capture the Arab city of Raqqa, the Islamic State's de facto capital.
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Wikipedia