Technical arrangements delay completion of integration process for YPJ

Security sources from both sides told ANHA agency that groups of Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) fighters travelled last week to a dedicated women’s academy within the Ministry of Interior of the Syrian transitional government, in preparation for completing the procedures for their integration into the ministry.

According to the sources, the groups travelled to the Ministry of Interior’s academy following coordination between the two sides and after completing procedures related to the lists of names submitted by the Women’s Protection Units, in accordance with the understanding stipulating the integration of the units into two battalions affiliated with the ministry.

However, the failure to complete some technical and executive procedures prevented the next steps in the integration process and the distribution of salaries from beginning, prompting the groups to return without completing these steps, according to the same sources.

The sources added that the groups may return to the academy during the final two weeks of November, once the outstanding procedures between the two sides have been completed, although no specific date has been set so far.

In a comment on the groups’ return, sources from the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) told ANHA agency that the group returned from the Ministry of Interior’s academy because the academy had not completed the technical and executive procedures required for them. They stressed that this step was not related to any indications that the integration process had encountered difficulties, but was instead a result of waiting for the necessary arrangements to be completed so that training and salary distribution could begin.

These developments come as the integration of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) into the Ministry of Interior remains at the stage of completing executive arrangements, despite agreements having been reached on the structure, the number of battalions and their deployment areas. This means that the agreement on the structure has not yet translated into full integration at the training, organisational and employment levels.

Roxen Mohammed, spokesperson for the Women’s Protection Units, had revealed in several statements to various Kurdish and Arab media outlets during November that an agreement had been reached to form two battalions, each comprising 400 fighters. The first would be affiliated with Aleppo Governorate and include Kobani and Afrin, while the second would be affiliated with Hasakah Governorate and be based in the Jazira Region. Both battalions are to operate within the Ministry of Interior’s Special Tasks Forces while retaining their organisational distinctiveness.

The units submitted records containing the names of 1,484 female fighters to the Ministry of Interior. Of these, 800 will form the two battalions, while the remaining fighters will be integrated into the departments of the Internal Security Forces.

The file concerning the Women’s Protection Units is one of the security issues being discussed within the framework of the 29 January 2026 agreement on integrating military and security institutions in the Autonomous Administration areas into Syrian state institutions.

Sh-S

ANHA