Kurdish women fighters from the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) are negotiating with Syria's new government to secure a combat role within state institutions. The talks follow a security overhaul under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose administration has begun folding formerly autonomous armed groups into state departments. While some members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been integrated into the defense ministry, YPJ leaders report that their request to maintain organized all-female combat units was recently denied by military authorities.
The YPJ gained international recognition for its role alongside the U.S.-backed SDF in the conflict against Islamic State militants, particularly in northern and eastern Syria. However, the political landscape shifted in late 2024 when former President Bashar al-Assad was toppled by forces led by Sharaa, a former head of Al Qaeda’s Syria branch who later broke ties with that group. Following the government transition, the SDF was formally dissolved in August 2026, and government troops have moved into formerly Kurdish-held areas containing key oil fields and infrastructure.
YPJ commander Nowruz Ahmed stated that the defense ministry rejected her proposal for the YPJ to serve as an independent brigade or battalion within the army. Consequently, the group is now in discussions with the interior ministry. While central authorities suggested YPJ members join the tourism police—a unit that already includes women—the YPJ has instead proposed joining the interior ministry’s special operations forces. Interior ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba said on Friday that the fighters would be welcomed into the ministry, though he specified that units would be deployed across the country rather than restricted to specific geographic zones.
On a broader scale, the integration process involves personnel from the now-dissolved SDF, which once controlled an autonomous enclave. The consolidation of these forces under the Damascus government follows the end of separate Kurdish military institutions that existed since 2015. For residents in the region, this transition is accompanied by a change in who manages local security, jails housing Islamic State militants, and economic assets like oil fields and hydroelectric dams. The shift also reflects a change in U.S. foreign policy, as an official has indicated the original purpose of the SDF has expired.
Kurdish communities have expressed mistrust toward the new authorities, citing previous violence against minorities in 2025 and the Islamist background of the current leadership. The YPJ views its continued existence as a guarantee of the social and political gains women achieved during the civil war. Commander Ahmed expects a formal response from the interior ministry regarding the proposal for special operations roles in the coming days. In the meantime, government troops remain deployed near the remaining Kurdish-held cities of Hassakeh and Qamishli as the two sides attempt to finalize a deal.