By Samah Abdul Fattah | 2023-10-13

As the primary partner of the US-led international coalition fighting to stamp out the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) in eastern Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have widespread public support, analysts said.

Residents of northern and eastern Syria largely support the SDF, considering the force a "safety valve" in the volatile region, they said.

"The SDF were and still are the spearhead of the fight against ISIS," Syrian media activist Ammar Saleh told Al-Fassel, noting that thousands of SDF fighters have been killed or injured in the fight to eradicate the extremist group.

"These forces comprise all the [ethnic and social] components of the areas they control, including Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs and Assyrians," he said.

Members of the force "share one mindset" and seek to establish democracy, eliminate terrorism and spread equality among all, "without exception," he said.

"They also have civilians' support as they were the life preserver that rid them of the control, injustice and terrorism of ISIS," Saleh said.

The international coalition sees the SDF as "a crucial partner in the fight against terrorism and an essential arm in this battle," he said.

"The coalition continues to provide logistical, technical and training support to [SDF] forces to ensure their full readiness at all times, especially since the battle with the terrorists is not yet over," he added.

SDF not affiliated with PKK

The SDF continue to come under attack from adversary forces in the region but remain steadfast in their determination to protect the Syrian people, members of the force said.

The SDF have succeeded in liberating dozens of cities and towns from ISIS, "and they continue to do so to this day to ensure the total elimination of ISIS remnants and sleeper cells," SDF officer Farhad Khoja told Al-Fassel.

The force also plays a key role in ensuring the security of civilians in the areas under its control, Khoja said.

SDF forces "were created for the primary goal of fighting and eliminating terrorism and terrorist groups, led by ISIS," and have no connection to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Khoja said.

Allegations that the SDF are affiliated with the PKK are being made for "purely political reasons," he said, as an attempt "to get [the SDF] booted from their work or push the coalition forces to stop supporting and assisting them."

"The biggest beneficiaries of this accusation are certain countries, most notably the current Syrian regime, which seeks to get rid of these forces [SDF]," he said.

Providing safety for civilians

Al-Raqa native Mahmoud al-Amin, a retired teacher, told Al-Fassel he remained in his hometown until 2017, when the SDF liberated it from ISIS, with international coalition backing.

He said that in his interactions with SDF members he did not feel at all "that they held extremist ideologies or those of the PKK."

"The main concern of these forces is to provide security and safety for civilians and to hunt down the remnants of ISIS," al-Amin said.

"The matter is not limited to military action," he added, as the SDF's political wing is managing the affairs of the areas liberated from ISIS through elected local councils with shared membership among all components.

The Syrian regime has not been providing services to these areas, he said.