Women's Protection Units
| Women's Protection Units | |
|---|---|
| Yekîneyên Parastina Jin (YPJ) | |
YPJ flag
|
|
| Active | 2012–present |
| Allegiance | Rojava, Syria (Democratic Union Party) |
| Branch | Female service units |
| Type | Light infantry (militia) |
| Size | c. 20,000 (November 2016) |
| Part of | Syrian Democratic Forces (since 2015) |
| Engagements | |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| General Commander | Nessrin Abdallah |
| Kobanî commander | Meryem Kobanî |
| Aleppo commander | Sewsen Bîrhat |
| Leading commander for Raqqa operations | Rojda Felat |
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
The Women's Protection Units or Women's Defense Units (Kurdish: Yekîneyên Parastina Jin, YPJ, pronounced Yuh-Pah-Juh) is an all-female Kurdish military organization.
It was set up in 2012 as the female brigade of the People's Protection Units (Yekîneyên Parastina Gel, YPG) militia. The YPJ and YPG are the armed wing of the Democratic Union Party (Syria) (PYD), which has taken de facto control over much of Syria's predominantly Kurdish north, Rojava.
The organization grew out of the Kurdish resistance movement, and as of late 2014 it had over 7,000 (or 10,000, according to TeleSUR) volunteer fighters between the ages of 18 and 40. By November 2016, the number of Arab and Kurdish YPJ fighters had reportedly risen to 20,000.
The YPJ joined its brother organization, the YPG, in fighting against groups that showed intentions of bringing the Syrian Civil War to Kurdish-inhabited areas. It has come under increased attacks from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and was involved in the Siege of Kobanî.
They receive no funding from the international community and rely on the local communities for supplies and food. However, the YPJ with YPG received 27 bundles totaling 24 tons of small arms and ammunition as well as 10 tons of medical supplies from the United States and Iraqi Kurdistan during the Siege of Kobanî.
The group played a critical role in rescuing the thousands of Yazidis trapped on Mount Sinjar by ISIL fighters in August 2014. One fighter said: "We need to control the area ourselves without depending on [the government] ... They can't protect us from [ISIL], we have to protect ourselves [and] we defend everyone ... no matter what race or religion they are."
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Wikipedia