Self-Defense Forces (Rojava cantons)

Self-Defense Forces
قوات الحماية الذاتية‎ Hêzên Xweparastinê ܓܘܫܡܐ ܕܣܘܝܥܐ ܘܣܘܬܪܐ ܝܬܝܐ‎
HXP militiamen with the organization's flag in the background.
Active	11 October 2014 - present
Country	Syria
Allegiance	Rojava & Syrian Democratic Forces
Type	Self-defense force Militia
Engagements	Syrian Civil War Eastern al-Hasakah offensive Tishrin Dam offensive Al-Shaddadi offensive (2016) Northern Aleppo offensive (February 2016) Manbij offensive Raqqa offensive (2016–present)
Website	Facebook
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	Renas Roza

Self-defense force

Syrian Civil War

Self-Defense Forces (Kurdish: Hêzên Xweparastinê‎, abbreviated as HXP; Arabic: قوات الحماية الذاتية‎, translit. Quwwāt al-himāyati al-dhātiyati‎, Syriac: ܓܘܫܡܐ ܕܣܘܝܥܐ ܘܣܘܬܪܐ ܝܬܝܐ‎, translit. Gushmo d'Suyo'o w'Sutoro Yothoyo) is a multi-ethnic territorial defense militia and the only conscripted armed force in the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria. As a self-defense force, manpower for the HXP is recruited locally.

The official name of HXP in Kurdish is Hêzên Xweparastinê. But in HXP's logo of Afrin Canton, there is another Kurdish name “Hêza Parastina Xweser” which may be only used in this canton. In some Kurdish news, “Erka Xweparastinê” has been used to entitle HXP.

The main English translation of HXP is Self-Defense Forces. Another rare translation is Autonomous Protection Force (abbreviated as APF), which often creates confusion that APF is a different armed force from HXP.

A Rojava official has stated that the self-defense duty “is not conscription” and that “it’s a natural right to defend yourselves, if there is no protection, people will be eliminated and finished.” HXP has become the first and only armed force of conscription in Rojava.

The formation and conscription of the HXP is legally based on the self-defense duty laws (Kurdish: Erka Xweparastinê‎) of the different Rojava cantons, which has been respectively approved by the Legislative Assembly (Kurdish: Meclîsa Zagonsaz‎) of every canton. According to the law, the Defense Council (Kurdish: Desteya Parastin‎) of each canton will open a center for Self-Defense Duty (Kurdish: Navenda Erka Xweparastinê‎) to register and recruit for the HXP.