The Manbij Military Council is a coalition established by several groups in the SDF, the Northern Sun Battalion and the Seljuk Brigade, on 2 April 2016 at the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates. The military council aimed to capture the city of Manbij across the river and many of the council members are local fighters from the surrounding areas.
Al-Bab
The al-Bab Military Council is an ethnically mixed force of the Syrian Democratic Forces, consisting of Kurdish, Arab, and Turkmen militias from northern Aleppo Governorate. The BMC currently maintains a presence in several villages west of Manbij, though its stated goal is to capture al-Bab, currently under the Turkish occupation of northern Syria.
Jarabulus
The Jarabulus Military Council is an SDF coalition in the Shahba Region formed by local fighters from the city of Jarabulus and the surrounding areas, who had fled from ISIL. Abdel Sattar al-Jader, the initial leader of the Jarabulus Military Council and the commander of the Euphrates Jarabulus Brigades, was assassinated just prior to the Turkish military intervention in the Syrian Civil War, and the SDF have accused Turkish military intelligence of organizing the assassination. The Jarabulus Military Council took part in the resistance against the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, attacking Turkish-backed forces in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo.
The Deir ez-Zor Military Council is an Arab-majority militia of the Syrian Democratic Forces, based in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. It joined the SDF in 2016, having previously been part of the Free Syrian Army.
The Idlib Military Council was proposed, and partially organized by the SDF in an attempt to gain influence in Idlib Governorate and counter Turkey and the Syrian Army in the region. It was reportedly established in late 2017, with an official formation video filmed in Idlib being released on 21 October 2017 claiming that the council seeks to revive the Syrian revolution and expand it into combating terrorism and foreign occupation. In the video the council also declared its willingness to fight Jabhat al-Nusra and rid Idlib from their presence, the speaker in the video also described the council's opposition to the Syrian government and Bashar al-Assad and their support for the Syrian rebellion, though the council mostly disappeared thereafter. In March 2018, however, the Idlib Military Council and other SDF units condemned the Turkish-led Operation Olive Branch against Afrin Canton and declared to help the YPG in defending the canton. The council is also openly linked with the Syrian Democratic Forces' component the Northern Democratic Brigade with the group's leader Abu Ammar al-Idlibi stating his group's ambitions to expand operations into the Idlib Governorate and eventually control it and expel Turkish forces as well as rival groups active in the area.
Military councils formed in 2019
Kobanî
The Kobanî Military Council was established on 16 June 2019, with Ismat Sheikh Hassan as its commander.
Tal Abyad
The Tal Abyad Military Council was established on 17 June 2019, with Riyad Khamis al-Khalaf as its leader. As a part of the SDF-US-Turkish buffer zone deal, the Tal Abyad Military Council filled positions left by the YPG in the Tal Abyad area, and has conducted joint patrols with the American military.
Tabqa
The Tabqa Military Council was established on 18 June 2019, with the Council being headed by Mohammed Raouf.
Al-Hawl
Tha al-Hawl Military Council was founded on 19 June 2019.
Qamishli
The Qamishli Military Council was founded on 20 June 2019, with Piling Qamişlo being one of its co-presidents.
Raqqa
The Raqqa Military Council was founded on 21 June 2019, with Farhan al-Askar as its commander.
Serê Kaniyê
The Serê Kaniyê Military Council was founded on 27 June 2019. As a part of the SDF-US-Turkish buffer zone deal, the Serê Kaniyê Military Council filled positions left by the YPG in the Serê Kaniyê area, and has conducted joint patrols with the American military on 4 September and 8 September 2019.
Derik
The Derik Military Council was founded on 30 June 2019, with Kurdistan Dêrik as one of its co-presidents.
Hasakah
The Hasakah Military Council was formed on 4 July 2019.
Amuda
The Amuda Military Council was founded on 4 July 2019, with Amed Amûdê as its commander.
