YPJ says initial deal reached with Damascus on integration
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) says it has reached an initial understanding with Damascus to join the Interior Ministry as a special mission force.
Ruken Jamal, a YPJ spokesperson, told Rudaw on Monday that Syrian Interior Ministry officials “approved in principle” the force’s proposal during meetings in Damascus in late August.
The proposal calls for the YPJ to join the ministry as a unified force rather than having its members integrate individually or under different names, Jamal said.
She said the YPJ had initially proposed joining the Defense Ministry, but the proposal was rejected. The force now considers integration into the Interior Ministry a suitable alternative.
“Our priority is preserving our status as an organized entity—keeping our fighters, institutions and commanders intact,” Jamal said.
According to Jamal, Interior Ministry officials will study the proposal before making a final decision. Damascus has not publicly commented on the reported understanding.
If approved, the proposed special mission force would be deployed in cities across northeast Syria, she said, adding that such a unit would be the first of its kind in Syria.
The YPJ is the women’s branch of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which formed a core component of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Jamal said the YPJ had about 3,500 fighters when it joined the SDF during clashes in January, but its ranks have since declined to about 1,500. Some fighters have transferred to state-affiliated internal security forces voluntarily and with the YPJ’s approval, while others have moved to civilian institutions or returned to civilian life.
The YPJ played a major role in the campaign against the Islamic State (ISIS), which lost its last territorial stronghold in Syria in 2019. It also fought Turkish forces and Turkey-backed Syrian groups before the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Jamal said 979 YPJ members have been killed in various conflicts, while six members remain in captivity.