The Democratic Syrian Forces actively fulfilled the duties and responsibilities throughout the year 2017, filled with conflict, war and resistance in Rojava Kurdistan and North Syrian territories, everywhere in the protection of the people and their lands; it basically participated in the global war against terrorism at the pioneering level and, in this sense, successfully played a historical role. In this framework, the Democratic Syrian Forces has responded with a clear stance and a strong response to all kinds of invasion and exploitation attempts of their enemies.

In the same framework, Democratic Syrian Forces responded to the invading Turkish state on the basis of the Legitimate Defense philosophy as much as possible against the terrorist groups organized under its control and under various names, ISIS, the Baath regime and all the hostile forces against the Rojava-North Syrian Democratic Federation and its people. In this way, the greatest danger facing progressive humanity, which is based on the co-operation of the regional peoples of the year 2017, libertarian forces, Kurdish, Arab, Armenian, Syriac and other peoples, was a year in which all attempts to drown the democratic popular revolution and dictate the fascist systems in North Syria, in particular the ISIS rule, has been wasted. Despite the support of the many regional forces that the occupationist Turkish state has endured, those who are hostile to the Democratic North Syrian Federation, particularly ISIS, have been defeated and not allowed to patronize and organize terrorist forces even in a single bloc of the northern Syrian lands.

On this basis and in order to protect the peoples of Northern Syria and its lands, the Democratic Syrian Forces continued their efforts to organize themselves and create a professional war force. Democratic Syrian Forces have been directed towards the areas under the occupation of ISIS with the experience and decisiveness of the struggle against the attacks of ISIS and the occupying Turkish army for many years, and an important step has been taken towards the establishment of peace in the region with the clearing of these areas. An effective operation was organized in Raqqa, known as the "terrorist capital" in recent years, and after the end of the war, the city was liberated along with all the villages and small-scale environmental settlements connected to it. Again with the operations carried out in Deir ez-Zor, which is considered as one of the important centers of terrorism, the city's north is totally free from terrorists in and the operations in the countryside are still being carried out. In this way, the Democratic North Syrian Federation borders extended to the Iraqi borders to the southeast; and to the entire Euphrates River strip to the south. In addition, the northern and western borders have been successfully protected despite all the attacks of the occupying Turkish state and the terrorist groups under its control.

When we launched the second phase of the Wrath of Euphrates Campaign as democratic Syrian Forces in the year 2017, Tabqa town, Raqqa city and northern parts of Deir ez-Zor were completely freed of ISIS gangs so that an area of ​​16,257 km2 was cleared of ISIS terrorists. In this context, the Wrath of Euphrates, which was initiated to liberate rural Raqqa and Tabqa town, the Great Battle campaigns initiated to liberate the city of Raqqa, were successfully completed with the dedication of our forces. In this scope;

The entire province of Tabqa, the province of Raqqa and all provinces (including the villages, towns and counties) were completely cleared of ISIS gangs.

- An area of ​​7.257 km2 is freed from ISIS terrorists within the scope of the operation.

- In total, 545 villages and hamlets as well as many strategic hills and Tabqa dam were liberated.

- 5,682 gangs were killed and 1,236 of their bodies were captured by SDF forces in the areas controlled.

More than 8,000 gangs wounded.

- 1,333 POWs have been captured by our forces.

- A total of 650,000 locals civilians under ISIS captivity were rescued.

- Within the scope of the operation, 20 armored vehicles belonging to ISIS, 186 bomb laden vehicles, 121 military vehicles, 18 mortars, 3 large workshops used in mine construction, 47 motorcycles, 2 land missiles, 40 DSHK cars, 3 tanks, 16 howitzer shells, 5 trucks, 10 suicide vests, 1 anti-air missile launch system, 450 mines, planted and ready to be planted, 13 drones, 5 ships and one work machine were destroyed by our forces.

- Within the scope of the operation, 600 AK-47 infantry rifles, 20,000 bullets, 104 turrets and 1230 cartridges belonging to ISIS; 77 BKC machine guns, 40 spare barrels, 34,000 rounds, 90 drums and 500 rounds of strip; 44 RPG-7 rocket launchers, 389 rocket headgear and 493 ignition components; 25 M16 infantry rifles; 23 pieces 12.7 mm. DSHK heavy machine guns and 100 crate bullets; 14 pieces 14.5 mm. ZPU heavy machine guns and 50 crate bullets; 30 crates of 23.5 mm. anti-aircraft gun rounds; 7 missiles, 10 BMPs, 17 bombs, 7 LAW weapons, 19 day binoculars, 13,000 AK-74 and AKC infantry rifles, 12 phosphorus rockets, 20 katyusha heads, 60 SPG-9 anti-tank rockets and firing components, 5 work machines, 4 forklifts, 29 mortar and 623 of its round shots, 40 howitzer shells, 8 workshops for mine construction, 6 bomb-laden vehicles, 2 workshops used for mortar construction, and 5 workshops used for construction of rocket launchers were seized by our forces.

A total of 793 Democratic Syrian Forces fighters were martyred and 1685 fighters were injured in the operations of the Wrath of Euphrates and The Great Battle, which ended on October 20, 2017.

The Storm of Jazira Campaign, launched on September 9, 2017 in order to clear the Deir ez-Zor countryside from ISIS, has been successfully carried out and continues. Within the scope of the operation, a considerably large area, within which strategic regions are located, were cleared from the ISIS terrorists. The current results of the operation being carried out in the rural area, where all the areas connected to the city of Deir ez-Zor are free from ISIS and extending to the border of Iraq is as following;

The northern part of the Deir ez-Zor has been thoroughly cleansed from the gangs.

- An area of ​​9,000 km2 has been liberated.

- 210 villages and hamlets were liberated from ISIS occupation.

- During the operation, 1,345 gangs were killed, of which 179 were left in the areas under SDF control.

- More than 4,000 ISIS members were injured.

- 64 gangs have been captured by our forces.

- 350,000 locals civilians under ISIS captivity have been liberated.

- 14 different model DSHK heavy machine guns; 27 DSHK mounted cars; 14 mortars; 24 vehicles loaded with bombs; In addition to 18 motorcycles, many weapons, ammunition and military equipment were destroyed by our forces.

- 12 different model DSHK heavy machine guns; 12 mortars; 26 BKC machine guns; 1 RBK infantry rifle; 5 Hummer type armored vehiclez; 3 Mosin type sniper rifles; Six suicide vests; 13 military vehicles; 1 howitzer shell; 5 vehicles loaded with bombs; 6 motorcycles; 1 tank; 40 boxes of submersible rocket headgear; 120 AK-47, 18 magazines and 20 cartridges; 23 hand bombs; 7 M16 infantry rifles; 312 mortar shell rounds; 10 pistols, 2000 rounds; 2 Dragunov type sniper rifles; 1 BMP; 5 Drones; 9 ground missiles; 1 laptop computer and 1 tablet were seized by our forces.

A total of 162 Democratic Syrian Forces fighters were martyred and 416 fighters were injured in the Storm of Jazira, which began on September 9, 2017 and is still underway.

Throughout the year 2017, the occupying Turkish army and the terrorist groups under its command uninterruptedly continued its attacks and violations against the districts of Şerawa, Cindirêsê, Rajo, Şera, Şiyê and Bilbilê of the Afrin Canton, and the Manbij and Shahba areas. There was also an increase in attacks against the Kobanê Canton, east of the Euphrates River. There has been a lot of clashes between the invading Turkish army units and the gangs under their command when SDF fighters responded to the attacks. The border violations of the Turkish army with unmanned aerial vehicles and warplanes have increased, and attempts to deploy the gangs of the invading armies have also encountered resistance from our forces. The occupying Turkish army violated the order several times during the year and attempted to enter Rojava territory. The attacks of the occupying Turkish army and its gangs against Rojava and violations have resulted in material damage to many parts of the region, especially Afrin; the houses and fields of citizens have been destroyed. During these attacks, many civilians were killed, including pregnant women and children.

The consequences of the violations and attacks of the occupying Turkish army and its terrorist groups on the territories of Rojava and North Syria are as follows:

Attacks of the invading army and gangs: 920

1) Attacks with heavy and medium range weapons: 907

2) Reconnaissance activities carried out with unmanned aerial vehicles: 149

3) Helicopter attacks: 5

4) Missile attacks: 7

5) Attack with combat planes: 1

6) Border breach initiative: 15

7) During the attacks, 13 SDF fighters and 16 civilians were martyred, 11 fighters and 27 civilians were wounded.

SDF fighters respond to attacks: 320

1) Number of dead and wounded from the occupying Turkish army: 59 dead, 12 wounded

2) Number of dead and wounded in terrorist groups: 151 dead, 62 wounded

3) Contacts and conflicts without conclusion: 38

4) Destroyed enemy equipment:

I. 12 unmanned aerial vehicles

ii. 6 tanks

iii. 8 working machines

iiii. 7 panzers

vi. 17 military vehicles

vi. 4 trucks and forklifts

vii. 2 bomb-laden vehicles

In 2017, a total of 968 Democratic Syrian Forces fighters were martyred, especially in the Afrin, Raqqa and Deirr Ez-Zor regions, and as a result of the heroic struggle and resistance; 2,112 fighters were also wounded. Thanks to the efforts and devotion of our heroic martyrs, the centers of ISIS and the capital were liberated, and the enemies were not allowed to invade North Syria and Rojava territory.

As Democratic Syrian Forces, we commemorate and express our grattitude in the name of all our comrades who have been martyred in the struggle in 2017 and we express our condolences to all the Syrian and Kurdish peoples, especially their families. We reiterate that we will be full of struggle where we will raise the fight for the people's brotherhood in 2018 on the basis of the memory and guidance of our martyrs, and we will come closer to the longing of a democratic Middle East!

Democratic Syrian Forces Press Center | January 3, 2018