Popular Protection Units

People's Protection Units
Yekîneyên Parastina Gel (YPG) ‏وحدات حماية الشعب‎‎‎
Flag of the YPG
Active	2004–present
Allegiance	Democratic Federation of Northern Syria (2012–present) Democratic Union Party (2004–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	Syrian Civil War 2012 Rojava campaign Battle of Aleppo Northern Aleppo offensive (2016) Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (2012–13) Battle of Ras al-Ayn Battle of al-Yaarubiyah Battle of Tell Abyad (2013) Siege of Kobanî Al-Hasakah offensive Battle of Sarrin Tell Abyad offensive Battle of Al-Hasakah Al-Hawl offensive Tishrin Dam offensive Al-Shaddadi offensive Battle of Tell Abyad (2016) Northern Raqqa offensive Manbij offensive Battle of al-Hasakah (2016) Western al-Bab offensive (October–November 2016) Raqqa campaign (2016–present) Iraqi Civil War 2014 Sinjar offensive 2015 Sinjar offensive
Website	Official website
Commanders
General Commander	Sîpan Hemo
Spokesperson	Nuri Mahmoud
Notable commanders	Ciwan Îbrahîm

Democratic Federation of Northern Syria (2012–present)

Syrian Civil War

Iraqi Civil War

The People's Protection Units (Kurdish: Yekîneyên Parastina Gel‎ pronounced [jɑkinæjen pɑrɑstinɑ gæl], Arabic: یەکینەکانی پاراستنی گەل‎‎, Syriac: ܚܕܝ̈ܘܬܐ ܕܣܘܬܪܐ ܕܥܡܐ‎, translit. Ḥdoywotho d'Sutoro d'Amo; YPG) is a mainly-Kurdish militia in Syria and the primary component of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria's Syrian Democratic Forces. The YPG is mostly ethnically Kurdish, but it also includes Arabs, foreign volunteers, and is closely allied to the Syriac Military Council, a militia of Assyrians.