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Syrian Democratic Forces (Syria)

image by Jens Pattke, 23 March 2019

Description
al-Bab Military Council
Manbij Military Council

See also:

Syria
Free Syrian Army (Syrian National Army)

Description

"Hêzên Sûriya Demokratîk"(in Kurdish) (English: Syrian Democratic Forces ), an umbrella organization, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Syrian_Democratic_Forces.svg.
Esteban Rivera, 19 October 2017

Throughout 2016, the Syrian Democratic Forces have established 3 separate military councils in the Shahba region in order to facilitate and conduct military operations in the region. As of late 2016, the three military councils are the Manbij Military Council, the al-Bab Military Council, and the Jarabulus Military Council.
The Manbij Military Council is a coalition established by 7 components of the SDF group Army of Revolutionaries on 2 April 2016 at the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates. The military council aims to capture the city of Manbij across the river and many of the council members are local fighters from the surrounding areas. Its flag is seen here.
     The al-Bab Military Council was established after securing Manbij, and it was established by the SDF on 14 August 2016 with the goal of securing the city of al-Bab and it's surrounding countryside. It was formed by 7 small SDF-affiliated factions. Its flag is seen here.
     The Jarablus Military Council is a SDF coalition in the Shaba Region formed by local fighters from the city of Jarabulus and the surrounding areas. It was established On August 21, 2016 in a similar fashion to the establishment of the Manbij and Al-Bab Military Councils. The goal is securing the city of Jarablus and it's surrounding countryside. The council also includes the newly established group, the Manbij Revolutionary Brigades. Its flag is seen here. (Sources: Syrian Democratic Forces military councils)
     The Syrian Democratic Forces (قوات سوريا الديمقراطية - Quwwat Suriya al-Dimuqratiya), commonly abbreviated as SDF or QSD, are an alliance of Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian, Armenian, Turkmen and Circassian militias in the Syrian Civil War. Founded in October 2015, the SDF fights to create a secular, democratic and federal Syria, their goals part of the larger Rojava Revolution taking place in northern Syria, where residents are carrying out de facto self-rule based on the principles of direct democracy and democratic confederalism. The draft for the updated 2016 constitution of the Federation of Northern Syria - Rojava names the SDF as its official defence force". The Federation of Northern Syria - Rojava is not drafted as an ethnic Kurdistan region, but rather a blueprint for a future polyethnic, decentralised and democratic Syria. Rojava is the birthplace and main sponsor of the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian Democratic Council (the political wing of the SDF, official website, a military and a political umbrella organisation), with the agenda of implementing a secular, democratic and federalist system for all of Syria. The establishment of the SDF was announced on 11 October 2015 during a press conference in al-Hasakah.
     The alliance built upon the successful Euphrates Volcano joint operations of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and several Syrian rebel factions of the Free Syrian Army label, who had helped defend the Kurdish town of Kobani during the Siege of Kobani. Euphrates Volcano was joined by Liwa Thuwwar al-Raqqa, who participated in the capture of Tell Abyad from the Islamic State. At its founding, the Syrian Democratic Forces alliance also included forces from Jazira Canton, such as the Assyrian Syriac Military Council and the Arab tribe Al-Sanadid Forces, both of whom had cooperated with the YPG in fighting ISIL for years.
The following groups signed the founding document:

People's Protection Units (YPG)
Women's Protection Units (YPJ)
Al-Sanadid Forces
Syriac Military Council (MFS)
Liwa Thuwwar al-Raqqa
Euphrates Volcano
Army of Revolutionaries (Jaysh al-Thuwar)
Brigade Groups of Al-Jazira
Liwai 99 Musat

     Since October 2015, it has been constantly growing by the establishment of new groups as well as other factions adherent to the SDF.
     On 10 December 2015, after a two-day conference, the SDF established its political wing, called the Syrian Democratic Council. Its flag is seen here.
     There are also conflicting reports with other anti-Isis factions, and even factions within factions, as has happened between FSA Units that have merged with SDF and other Units have battled SDF. (Source) For additional information go to SDF (QSD) (official website)
     Rojava (the West), also known as Western Kurdistan (Rojavayê Kurdistanê?) or Syrian Kurdistan, is a de facto autonomous region originating in and consisting of three self-governing cantons in northern Syria: Afrin Canton, Jazira Canton and Koban Canton, and the unofficial Shahba region. In terms of governates of Syria, Rojava is formed of most of al-Hasakah Governorate, northern parts of Al-Raqqah Governorate and northern parts of Aleppo Governorate.
     The region gained its autonomy in November 2013, as part of the ongoing Rojava conflict, establishing a society based on principles of direct democracy, gender equality, and sustainability. Rojava is unrecognized as autonomous by the government of Syria and is a participant in the Syrian Civil War. On 16 March 2016, the de facto administration of Rojava declared the establishment of a federal system of government as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES), (Federasyona Bakura Sûriyê Rojavay, منطقة الإدارة الكردية في شمال سوريا‎‎) Its flag is seen here. Its Coat-of-Arms is seen here. For additional information go to "The 2014 Constitution of the Rojava Cantons" (semi-official website). Official Twitter account of the Economic Committee of the self-administration of Rojava.
Esteban Rivera, 21 September 2016

Inscriptions in Arabic, Kurdish and Assyrian.
Jens Pattke, 23 March 2019

On February 24-25, 2025 a "Syrian National Dialogue Conference" was held in Damascus with the participation of most of the country’s ethnic groups

On March 10, 2025 the top leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the current president of the Syrian Interim Government signed a "tentative agreement" (more like a MoU, Memorandum of Understanding) (https://x.com/Sana__gov/status/1899154595542110541) which aims to incorporate the earlier into the military forces as well as declare a cease fire, among other issues with Joint committees will aim to implement the agreement by no later than the end of this year.

However in late July negotiations have been postponed indefinitely due to the disagreement over the publication of the recent Constitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic is a provisional, yet de jure, constitution which the SDF considers not having the proper constitutional guarantees for northeast Syria's security framework. Specifically, in August, following the holding of the Al-Hasakah Conference in the Kurdish Al-Hasakah province, attended by the SDF and senior officials of Kurdish, Druze and Alawites minorities, which together with other attendees from Christian, Turkmen, Armenian and Circassian communities now feel threatened due to the latest developments and attacks and possible attacks on their communities. The main idea of the conference was decentralization. This meant that Syria would exist as a federation, in which each sect would maintain autonomy under loose control from Damascus.
Sources:
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-864506
https://hawarnews.com/en/sdfdamascus-govt-sign-eight-point-agreement
https://www.kurdistan24.net/index.php/en/story

Esteban Rivera, 5 September 2025

al-Bab Military Council

image located by William Garrison, 10 January 2025

Per Wikipedia: the "al-Bab Military Council" (BMC) is an ethnically mixed force of the "Syrian Democratic Forces", consisting of Kurdish, Arab, and Turkmen militias from northern Aleppo Governorate, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Bab_Military_Council
William Garrison, 10 January 2025

image located by William Garrison, 10 January 2025

A possible anti-Assad flag variant of the "Syrian National Army" (SNA) flag, as handled by "al-Bab military council" in its "Hawar Kills Operations Room", during the "Battle of al-Bab" (c. Nov. 2016- Feb. 2017). Per Wikipedia: "The Syrian National Army (SNA); (Arabic: الجيش الوطني السوري, romanized: al-Jayš al-Waṭanī as-Sūrī), also known as the Turkish-backed "Free Syrian Army" (TFSA), is a coalition of armed [anti-Assad] Syrian opposition groups that participates in the Syrian civil war [c. 2010s-2020s]. Comprising various rebel factions that emerged at the start of the war in July 2011, it was officially established in 2017 under the auspices of Türkiye, who provides funding, training, and military support.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_National_Army#Internal_conflict
William Garrison, 10 January 2025

This image is part of the "Hawar Kills Operations Room" (either its own flag or a faction within it, that I am not sure) which operates in the Aleppo Governorate and as he mentions, took part in the Battle of al-Bab.
Esteban Rivera, 13 January 2025

Manbij Military Council

image from David Phillips, 21 September 2016

The flag forwarded by David Phillips is that of the Manbij Military Council, which is one of three Military Councils of the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces). On 2 April 2016 the SDF established the Manbij Military Council with the goal of securing the city of Manbij and its surrounding countryside (Manbij offensive). The council also includes a newly established group called the Manbij Turkmen Brigade which joined the Northern Sun Battalion (كتائب شمس الشمال‎ - Kata'eb Shams ash-Shamal) of the Army of Revolutionaries (جيش الثوار - Jaysh al-Thuwar [flag image], official website).
By the way, one can also find the flag of the Manbij Military Council here (Source #1)(Source #2) (Source #3))
Esteban Rivera, 21 September 2016