SUMMARY
Jabhat al-Akrad (Kurdish Front) was a rebel group and participant in the Syrian Civil War as a part of the Syrian insurgents. The group was created on 22 January 2013 in Ar Raqqah Governorate by Kurdish and Arab defectors from the Syrian army, initially as part of the rebel group Liwa Ahrar Souriya, though it left that group and became an independent actor in on 20 February 2013. Jabhat al-Akrad was allied with PYD since its formation in 2013, which led to its expulsion from FSA on the 15 August 2013 amid accusations of it being a PYD affiliate. Jabhat al-Akrad fought for a democratic and pluralistic Syria and to defend all Kurds outside Syrian Kurdistan as well as "all those who demand help". Their operations took place in the whole Syrian territory, in contrast to their ally, the also mainly Kurdish PYD, which only fought in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) and its surroundings; however, their main area of operation was amongst the Kurdish populated areas in northern Aleppo and Raqqah.
During 2013, Jabhat al-Akrad fought against IS and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (at the time called Jabhat al-Nusra) in Tall Abyad in Raqqah (see Jabhat al-Akrad, PYD - IS, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham) and Safirah in Aleppo (see Jabhat al-Akrad - IS, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham). It participated in the major anti-IS offensive that begun in January 2014, and fought IS in a variety of constellations, including IS - Islamic Front, Jabhat al-Akrad, Liwa Thuwar ar-Raqqa, Dawn of Freedom Brigades, Jabhat al-Akrad, Northern Storm Brigade - IS and Dawn of Freedom Brigades, Euphrates Islamic Liberation Front, Islamic Front, Jabhat al-Akrad, Liwa Thuwar ar-Raqqa - IS.
On 3 May 2015, Jabhat al-Akrad together with the SRF and the main component of the Dawn of Freedom Brigades formed the coalition Jaysh al-Thuwar, which fought as part of the Euphrates Volcano operations room. On this date, Jabhat al-Akrad thus ceased to exist as an independent organization. Jaysh al-Thuwar soon thereafter, in October, joined PYD-led SDF coalition.
The first leader of Jabhat al-Akrad was Abu Layla, previously commander in FSA, who lead the group until 2014 and later served as commander in SDF until his death in 2016. He was succeeded by Hajji Ahmed Kurdi.
Jabhat al-Akrad has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organized violence. It is also considered part of the Syrian insurgents active in the intrastate and one-sided categories of UCDP organized violence.
The PYD’s (Partiya Yektîya Demokrat, Democratic Union Party) was a Kurdish political party in Syria. It advocated Kurdish nationalism and the right for Kurds to self-government.
Its relationship to PKK (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan, Kurdistan Workers’ Party (for more information, see Turkey: Kurdistan Aside from Turkey, PKK has further been involved in violence in Iraq)) – the Kurdish rebel group in Turkey is somewhat ambiguous: it is thought to have been created by the PKK as its Syrian arm in 2003. PYD itself however claims it is not a PKK-offshoot, although it holds membership in the Kurdish umbrella organisation KCK (Koma Civakên Kurdistan, Union of Kurdish Communities), which has PKK’s charter as well as leadership. PYD and PKK are further linked through YPG (Yekîneyên Parastina Gel, People’s Defence Corps), the armed wing of PYD, which was trained by PKK. It is possible that the denial of ties to the PKK is a strategy to gain support among Syria’s Kurds by depicting itself as a Kurdish party for them, and to gain increased legitimacy internationally, although the PKK likely determines PYD’s decisions to a large extent.
PYD opposes the anti-Assad groups’ relationship with Turkey (which is seen as opposing Kurdish goals) as well as their espousal of Islamism and Arab nationalism. It is a member of the NCB (National Coordination Body for Democratic Change), which is opposed to intervention in Syria by foreign countries. The group has both cooperated with and clashed with the Syrian government. In 2014 PYD was one of the main actors fighting IS in Syria.
On 10 October 2015 PYD joined the SDF alliance after this date all PYD violence adhere to this actor.
PYD has been involved in the intrastate and non-state and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.
