ANATOMY OF THE SYRIAN DEMOCRATIC FORCES

The monster that became the so-called “Islamic State” came to an end in an obscure Syrian town that might be lucky to show up on a printed map of the region. Baghuz is one of the southernmost towns in Deir ez-Zor province, mere kilometers from the Iraqi border. It’s across the Euphrates River from Abu-Kamal, an Assad Regime-controlled town that formed an anvil the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) smashed against the last bastion of ISIS in Syria, supported by the Inherent Resolve coalition forces. This mixed force of young Kurds and Arabs, Muslims, and Christians paid a deadly toll for their victory in Northeastern Syria. Few could probably have foreseen this battle in 2014 when Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi took to the minbar of the al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, proclaiming the “caliphate” to a worldwide audience.

COMMAND STRUCTURE

Much more complicated than a unified and structured