Syrian Kurdish-led forces form brigade of 800 fighters in Raqqa

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday announced the formation of a brigade of three battalions which include youth from Raqqa city and the countryside.

RAQQA (Kurdistan 24) – The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday announced the formation of a brigade of three battalions which include youth from Raqqa city and the countryside.

In an online statement, the SDF said the fighters would receive intensive military training about the use of all kinds of light and medium weapons, and how to deal with civilians in times of war and peace.

The formation of the new brigade was inaugurated with a military parade in the presence of senior SDF commanders.

The SDF is spearheaded by the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and has expanded beyond its previously-held Kurdish-majority parts in the north of the country. Its territory now includes the city of Raqqa, the Islamic State’s (IS) former base of operations in the country, and the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, on the Iraqi border.

The SDF and its leading component, the YPG, have mostly avoided conflict with Assad during the seven-year war, setting them apart from rebels in western Syria who fight to topple him.

Two weeks ago, the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), which is considered the SDF’s political wing, handed over 44 bodies of Syrian soldiers killed by IS in 2014 to representatives of the Syrian government.

The handover of the bodies, characterized by the SDC as “part of a humanitarian initiative,” could be part of their recent negotiations with Damascus.

So far, SDC senior co-heads have been in Damascus twice within two weeks for talks with the Syrian government.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany