Rebeller rycker fram – intar stad nära turkiska gränsen

The Syrian Democratic Forces (Kurdish: Hêzên Sûriya Demokratîk‎, Arabic: قوات سوريا الديمقراطية‎, translit. Quwwāt Sūriyā al-Dīmuqrāṭīya), commonly abbreviated as SDF or QSD, are an alliance of Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian, Armenian, and Turkmen militias established during the Syrian Civil War. Founded in October 2015, they seek to expel the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant from the Ar-Raqqah Governorate and other areas in Syria. The SDF consider themselves a "unified national military force to all Syrians consisting of Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians and all others living in the geographical locations of Syria." Furthermore, they are aiming to build a self-governing, inclusive and democratic Syria. The alliance builds upon the successful Euphrates Volcano joint operations of the Syrian Kurdish YPG and certain factions of the Free Syrian Army, who helped defend the Kurdish town of Kobanî. Euphrates Volcano was later joined by Liwa Thuwwar al-Raqqa, who participated in the capture of Tell Abyad from the Islamic State. The larger Syrian Democratic Forces alliance also includes forces from self-administered Jazira Canton, such as the Christian Syriac Military Council and the Arab tribe Al-Sanadid Forces both of whom contributed to combating IS from Al-Hasakah. Although estimates of the size of the SDF's component forces vary significantly, their total number, including the Syrian Arab Coalition and Christian militias may be as high as 55,000. With a strength of around 4,000 fighters, the Arab groups within the alliance will operate under the joint name Syrian Arab Coalition and will be committed to push down towards ISIS de facto capital Ar-Raqqah, while staying east of the Euphrates river. Some of the remaining U.S.-Pentagon-trained rebels will also be part of the new forces, tasked with "calling in airstrikes against ISIS and recruiting moderate rebels". On 10 December 2015, after a two-day conference it established its political wing, called the Syrian Democratic Assembly.