Asayish (North and East Syria)
The Internal Security Forces,[a] also known as the Asayish[b] in the Jazira, Euphrates, and Afrin Regions,[1] is the internal security and police force in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. Formed in the early stages of the Syrian Civil War, it had initially been established to police areas controlled by the Kurdish Supreme Committee. In October 2013, the Asayish claimed to have 4,000 members;[4] by 2017, the number had reportedly risen to over 15,000.[2]
This article is about the security forces in North and East Syria. For the intelligence & security agency in Kurdistan Region, see Asayish (Kurdistan Region). For other uses, see Asayish.Structure[edit]
Organization[edit]
According to the Constitution of North and East Syria, policing is the responsibility of the autonomous sub-regions. Overall, the local Asayish forces are composed of 26 official bureaus that aim to provide security and solutions to social problems. The six main units of the Asayish are Checkpoints Administration, Anti-Terror Forces Command (Kurdish: Hêzên Antî Teror, HAT), Intelligence Directorate, Organized Crime Directorate, Traffic Directorate and Treasury Directorate. By 2016, 218 Asayish centers were established and 385 checkpoints with 10 Asayish members in each checkpoint were set up. 105 Asayish offices provide security against ISIL on the frontlines across the region. Larger cities have general directorates that are responsible for all aspects of security including road controls. Each sub-region has a HAT command and each Asayish center organizes itself autonomously.[5] Overall chief of the police is the former journalist Ciwan Ibrahim.[2]
In the Jazira Region, the Asayish are further complemented by the Assyrian Sutoro police force, which is organized in every area with Christian population, and provides security and solutions to social problems in collaboration with other Asayish units.[5] Though the Sutoro is officially subordinate to the Asayish, and represented on the Asayish executive board, it operates largely autonomous in regard to its internal affairs. Thus, it patrols the Christian neighborhoods of Qamishli without interference by the Asayish, and when the Sutoro members want to appoint someone, they don't need the approval of the Asayish.[2] The Assyrian Khabour Guards and Nattoreh also provide security in towns along the Khabur River.[6]
On 17 May 2017, the Raqqa Internal Security Forces were established for policing in Raqqa.[7]
On 25 May 2017, a female branch of the Asayish was established in Al-Shaddadah.[8]
On 4 July 2018, a conference of the Internal Security Forces took place in Raqqa. At the conference, two flags were adopted for the ISF; one saying only Internal Security Forces in Arabic, used in the Raqqa, Tabqa, Deir Ezzor, and Manbij regions, and one saying Asayish as well, used in the Jazira, Afrin, and Euphrates regions.[1]
Strength, composition and budget[edit]
The Asayish police has around 15,000 personnel: 10,000 in the Jazira Region, 3,000 in the Afrin Region, and 2,000 in the Euphrates Region. Ethnically, Kurds dominate the Asayish, though half of the active personnel in Jazira Region is Arab, while around 300 Turkmens have also enlisted, mostly in Tell Abyad. About 30% of the Asayish are women. Members of the force are paid $120 monthly salaries, which is above the average monthly salaries of Syrian civil servants, so that Asayish employment is rather attractive.[2]
Involvement in military operations[edit]
While Asayish is primarily a police, the forces of Asayish were involved in tensions against the National Defense Forces, a pro-government militia. The tensions led to the Battle of Hasakah, in August 2016. Ultimately, the Syrian Arab Army was forced to give up neighborhoods in the city.[9] Following rising tensions in the city of Qamishli the Asayish and contingents of its HAT units were embroiled in further conflict with the National Defense Forces leading to the Battle of Qamishli, in April 2021.[10]
In the course of the Raqqa campaign, the Asayish established the Raqqa Internal Security Forces.[11]
Training[edit]
In addition to the use of weapons, Asayish members are also trained in "mediation, ethics, the history of Kurdistan, imperialism, the psychological war waged by popular culture and the importance of education and self-critique."[16] The Internal Security Forces receive training and equipment from the US Department of Defense, including Hêzên Anti-Terror (HAT) who act as the Internal Security Forces’ special forces, carrying out counterinsurgency operations such as High Value Target (HVT) raids[17]