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Rojava–Islamist conflict

Theater in the Syrian civil warBelligerentsSyrian Democratic Forcesand allied groupsCJTF-OIR (2014–2026; airstrikes, arms, and ground troops) United StatesAustraliaUnited KingdomFranceNetherlandsUnited Arab EmiratesSaudi Arabia(2018–2026)Czech RepublicIraqi Kurdistan (limited involvement)Russia (until 2024)Ba'athist Syria (until 2024)Islamic StateMilitary of ISDokumacılar (until 2017)al-Nusra Front (until 2017)Ahrar ash-ShamJaysh al-IslamFree Syrian Army factionsMare' Operations Room (2014–16)Hawar Kilis Operations Room (2016–2025)Syrian Turkmen BrigadesFatah Halab (2015–2017)Turkey (2015–2026)Supported by:Qatar (arms)Saudi Arabia (arms)Commanders and leadersSalih Muslim MuhammadMazloum AbdiSipan Hamo Cemşîd Osman Nujin Derik Roshna Akeed Alaa Ajabu †Abu Layla (DOW)Abu Hafs al-HashimiAbu al-Hussein al-Husseini †Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi †Abu Ibrahim al-Hashmi †Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi †Abu Ali al-Anbari †Abu Mohammad al-Adnani †Ali Aswad al-Jiburi †Abu Muslim al-Turkmani †Abu Ali al-Anbari †Abu Omar al-Shishani † Abu Musab UnknownUnits involvedSDFYPGYPJArmy of RevolutionariesLiwa Thuwar al-RaqqaElite BrigadeAl-Sanadid ForcesMFSForeign volunteers:PKK (until 2025)International Freedom BattalionMLKPPML-RCBÖGSosyal İsyanAnarchist and antifascist units: Devrimci Anarşist Faaliyet (DAF)Other anarchist and anarcho-feminist volunteersArab tribes:Al-ShaitatSharabiyya tribe (Ras al-'Ayn area)Zubayd tribe (Ras al-'Ayn area)Shammar tribe (Ya'rubiyah area)Security forces:AsayishSutoroIS Military UnknownStrengthYPG: 65,000Jabhat al-Akrad: 7,000MFS: 2,000+ (2015)PKK: 600IS: over 15,140al-Nusra Front: 5,000–6,000Casualties and losses 11,000 fighters killed21,000 fighters woundedBy YPG/SDF:25,336 killed, 2,127 captured (YPG claim; 2013–2017 total)By US-led airstrikes:9,145+ killed (SOHR claim, minimum, as of March 2019) Unknown Dozens of Syrian and 4 Turkish civilians killed; 100,000 Syrian Kurds displaced to TurkeyThe Rojava–Islamist conflict was a major theater in the Syrian civil war (2011–2024) and Syrian conflict (until 2026) in which the forces of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria fought against Islamist militant groups.

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