SDF are fulcrum, turned the scales -2

NEWS DESK

Great victories achieved by SDF for the sake of liberating the people in north and east of Syria from the terrorism of IS mercenaries after 3 years of its formation, and they managed to prove to the world through liberating 55,000 km2 of Syria's space their effectiveness to liberate the areas and preserve its security and stability.

Some regional and international forces started to undermine the will of the Syrian people and their revolution that started in March 11, 2011 against the Syrian regime, and to get them into internal inflicts. What increased the suffering of the Syrian people is the entry of terrorist forces under many names some of which are Jabhet al-Nusra and Daesh (IS) with direct support from Turkey.

The Syrian people have paid the price of foreign practices and policies in Syria. Recently, they have become a commodity at the hands of those policies; however, the strong will of the peoples of the Syrian north was stronger than those schemes. They succeeded to form military forces known as Syrian Democratic Forces that are capable of protecting their areas from foreign aggressions, and to intervene to liberate the areas under the control of the mercenary gangs.

Launching, liberating and the battles

Since its formation in October 15, 2015, SDF have joined strong battles against the mercenaries in various axes and areas in the Syrian north, the beginning of which was launched from the southern countryside of al-Hasakah "al-Hol and al-Shaddadi" reaching to Girê Spî / Tel Abyed, Silok, Sereen, Manbij, al-Tabqa, al-Raqqa and the last of which was the northern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.

With the liberation of every civilian by SDF during their battles against the mercenaries, the people's confidence in these forces increased. Alongside the liberation of the civilians, the forces were gaining new military experiences due to the different climatic conditions in which they fought from one battle to another. That helped the forces to be transformed into professional, experienced and effective forces on the battlefield and capable of dealing with the enemy in the most difficult types of battles and terrain.

The liberation of 14,000 km2 and more than 12,000 civilians in the beginning of their campaigns

SDF launched their first military campaign in the name of al-Khabour to liberate the southern countryside of al-Hasakah canton from IS mercenaries after several appeals from the people of the area. The first one was al-Hol district that is 40 km southeast of al-Hasakah. The military campaign lasted for 20 days, during which SDF achieved its first victories on 19 November 2015.

In the battle, the forces liberated an area of ​​14,000 km2, including 196 villages and towns, in addition to strategic points used to be used by IS mercenaries such as the center of al-Hol district, al-Khatoniya Lake, Tishreen Oil Field and the refugees' camp. The forces managed to liberate 12,600 civilians from al-Hol area according to a statement issued by the forces about this campaign.

During the battles of al-Hol district, SDF eliminated more than 493 mercenaries, while 33 fighters in the ranks of SDF martyred.

Achieving the first strategic victories

The battles of al-Hol were followed by the campaign of liberating the southern countryside of Kobanî canton in December 23, 2015 that lasted for seven consecutive days, in which SDF liberated an area of 640 km2 which included many villages in addition to the strategic dam of Tishreen. This was the first strategic victory achieved by SDF. Moreover, they liberated approximately 23,000 people from IS' oppression.

Al-Shaddadi and its liberation

On the other hand, basing on the appeals of the civilians after the victories of al-Hol battles, the battle of al-Shaddadi liberation was launched, the second most important bastion of IS mercenaries in the Syrian north on February 16, 2016 within the second phase of the liberation campaign of the southern countryside of al-Hasakah canton. This campaign witnessed a rapid victory after six days as the forces liberated 24,000 km2, including the center of al-Shaddadi and 315 villages and hamlets linked to the town. The Syrian Democratic Forces managed to liberate 54,900 civilians of the area.

During the campaign of al-Shaddadi liberation, the forces destroyed 275 IS mercenaries, and 20 fighters were martyred. Moreover, SDF managed to seize large amounts of ammunition.

Transferring to advanced stages in the liberation of the Syrian north areas

SDF's successive victories in al-Hol, al-Shaddadi and Tishreen Dam paved the way for the people of the liberated areas to join the ranks of these military forces. These victories led to the launching of a new military campaign in the name of the liberation campaign of Manbij in June 1, 2016.

The battle of Manbij city liberation was not the same as the other battles fought by SDF as IS elements used the city as a center and the way to transit their foreign mercenaries into the Syrian interior through Turkey, and in proportion to the large geography and the density of its population, while SDF managed to liberate Manbij city completely with its associated administrative areas on 15 August, 2016.

In the campaign, SDF liberated an area of ​​5,183 km2, including the city's center, dozens of towns and districts, 196 villages. The forces also liberated more than 200,000 civilians from IS' oppression. During the liberation of the city and its countryside, 264 fighters among them Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs and international fighters martyred.

The liberation of the Syrian city of Manbij reinforced the experience and readiness of SDF, as they have used for the first time naval warships to cross the Euphrates River to the western bank of the river that is opposite to SDF's starting points. It was also a new lesson for SDF fighters to experience the streets' battles that they were engaged into within the city amid the enemy's use of civilians as human shields.

Breaking the myth of the alleged caliphate

The difficulties and battles experienced by SDF a year after their formation did not undermine their determination to continue pursuing the mercenaries in the Syrian north, which was named after Manbij as the Wrath of Euphrates campaign that aimed at liberating the entire city of al-Raqqa and its countryside in addition to their people from IS mercenaries.

The battle of the Wrath of Euphrates was the most important battle launched by SDF in northern and eastern Syria against the mercenaries. The mercenaries used to be fortified heavily there because they took it as the capital of their alleged caliphate. Therefore, the battles witnessed many obstacles that led SDF to be patient until launching them. The importance of this area for IS mercenaries is the natural conditions from which they have benefited, and the sensitivity of the strategic positions that used to be used by the mercenaries in this geography.

The liberation of the city is an achievement at the humanitarian level

The battle was inevitable due to the mercenaries' risk to the liberated areas by SDF, as well as the huge proportion of civilians suffering from IS' injustice in the region. Therefore, SDF began their military preparations intensively and launched their campaign on 6 November 2016 at four stages after appeals from the people of al-Raqqa.

SDF aimed in the Wrath of Euphrates campaign to liberate al-Raqqa with its administrative borders from IS mercenaries. After fierce battles that lasted nearly a year in several separate stages, the first phase started from the northern side to transfer to the western in the second stage, then to the eastern side in the third stage.

In the course of the battles that were launched to liberate al-Raqqa city and within their third phase on 21 March 2017, the process of liberating al-Tabqa city began with a common large-scale aerial landing operation between SDF and the International Coalition's forces in al-Tabqa western countryside. Then, SDF gained a new experience in their battles against the enemy.

 During which, the Syrian Democratic Forces liberated al-Tabqa city and its strategic dam on the 10th of May, 2017, an area of ​​5,460 km2, including the city's center and the dam, as well as al-Tabqa Military Airport, 96 villages and hamlets. In addition, the forces liberated 130,000 people of the area from IS' domination.

After many people from the city joined SDF, they managed to liberate the Syrian city of al-Raqqa on October 20, 2017 within the final stage, the great battle to liberate al-Raqqa city which lasted for 166 days.

SDF have made a great achievement at the humanitarian level by liberating 450,000 civilians from the control of IS mercenaries. During the liberation of the city, 655 fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces were martyred, while an area of ​​19,670 km2 of the area's geography was liberated.

Fighting on more than one front

SDF have become the most effective forces on the ground fighting IS, and the popularity of these forces increased at the internal and external levels, in addition to the increase of the international support that trained and prepared them to repel any military attacks on the region in various types of war conditions.

In conjunction with the Wrath of Euphrates battle, the Syrian Democratic Forces launched al-Jazeera Tempest campaign on September 9, 2017 that aimed at liberating the northern countryside of Deir ez-Zor city and the entire of al-Jazeera in addition to eliminating the last strongholds of IS mercenaries in the east of the Euphrates.

SDF's battles in the east of the Euphrates

During al-Jazeera Tempest campaign, the Syrian Democratic Forces managed to liberate the entire desert of al-Jazeera badia and its villages, towns and cities in the al-Hasakah southern and Deir ez-Zor northern countryside. The area was 71,360 km2 with a length of 191 km, including several towns and districts; Merkeda, al-Sor, al-Basira, al-Bahra, al-Jazrat, al-Qesrat and al-Dashisha recently, and approximately 467 villages and hamlets scattered in that area. The forces managed to liberate more than 900,000 civilians from the oppression of IS mercenaries.

In the current phase and after many military victories of SDF in various areas of the Syrian north, these forces have only some of the last pockets of Daesh in Hajin town and its villages east of Deir ez-Zor.

Self-sacrifice to liberate the people of the area

The alternatives provided by the Syrian Democratic Forces were not very few after 3 years, and the number of the fighters who sacrificed their lives reached 12,000 according to the commander of the General Command of the Syrian Democratic Forces Zenarin Kobanî. The forces also managed to liberate an area of ​​approximately 55,000 km2, equivalent to 30 percent of the territory of Syria where about 3 million civilians live including indigenous people and displaced people from other areas of Syria.

It has become clear to everybody that SDF after three years of their formation have become professional, experienced and effective military forces on the battlefield, and capable of dealing with the enemy in the most difficult battles in addition to protecting the Syrian north and its people.

D.H

ANHA