Jabhat al-Akrad

"Kurdish Front" redirects here. For Kurdish Islamist group that was merged into Ahrar ash-Sham, see Kurdish Islamic Front.
Liwa' Jabhat al-'Akrad
لواء جبهة الأكراد
Participant in the Syrian Civil War

Logo of Jabhat al-Akrad

Logo of Jabhat al-Akrad
Active 2013 – Present
Groups
  • Martyr Jiyan Ahras Battalion
  • Arfad Revolutionaries Battalion[1]
Leaders Hajji Ahmed Kurdi[2]
Headquarters Tel Rifaat, Aleppo Governorate
Area of operations Aleppo Governorate, Raqqa Governorate
Strength <3,000
Part of Euphrates Volcano[3]
Army of Revolutionaries
Syrian Democratic Forces
Allies
Opponents

Jabhat al-Akrad (Arabic: جبهة الأكراد‎‎; Kurdish: Eniya Kurdan‎, lit. 'Kurdish Front Brigade'), full name: (لواء جبهة الأكراد لنصرة شعبنا السوري‎ Liwa' Jabhat al-'Akrad l-Nusrah Shaʿbnā al-Sūrī, Kurdish Front Brigade to Protect the Syrian People), is a predominantly Kurdish rebel faction participating in the Syrian civil war.

Jabhat al-Akrad operates in Kurdish and ethnically-mixed areas in Syria's Aleppo and Raqqa provinces, mainly outside of the quasi-autonomous Kurdish enclaves in Kurd Mountains, Jazira, and the Kobanê Canton which are controlled by the YPG. These areas include the countryside north and east of Aleppo city, Aleppo city itself, the area of Tall Abyad in northern Raqqa province, and Raqqa city itself.

History

The group was originally formed as a brigade of the Free Syrian Army by Kurdish and Arab defectors from the Syrian Army. Since its founding it however also maintained close ties to the Democratic Union Party (PYD), including military coordination with its armed wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG).

Jabhat al-Akrad was allegedly expelled from the FSA Aleppo Military Council on 16 August 2013 due to alleged PYD affiliations amid widespread clashes in northern Syria between predominantly Sunni Arab rebel groups and Kurdish militia led by the YPG.

In early 2014, following several months of inactivity, Jabhat al-Akrad re-emerged to collaborate with the Free Syrian Army and other rebel factions in attacks on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

On 28 February, ISIL withdrew from the strategic border town of Azaz, which was then taken by Jabhat al-Akrad, the Northern Storm Brigade and Al-Tawhid Brigade.[4] The faction and 10 other groups have threatened to leave Aleppo and Raqqa governorates if they are not aided by other rebels.[5]

Army of Revolutionaries and Syrian Democratic Forces

On 3 May 2015, Jabhat al-Akrad together with former Hazzm Movement and Syria Revolutionaries Front affiliates, the Northern Sun Battalion and smaller FSA groups formed the Army of Revolutionaries (Jaysh al-Thuwar), which in October 2015 became part of the Syrian Democratic Forces.[6]

On 8 June 2016 they established an all-female unit called the Martyr Jiyan Ahras Battalion (Shabha Women Protection Front).[7][8]

In the summer of 2016, Jabhat al-Akrad changed its logo, replacing the independence flag with a former YPG logo and adding Kurdish text.[9]

Logos


See also

References

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