Fate of all-women fighting units of former SDF is now dispute point between Kurds and Syrian govt

(29 Sep 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Derik, Syria - 12 September 2026 1. Various of all-women fighter units training at shooting range 2. Fighters checking and reloading their weapons 3. Tilt of women fighter 4. Wide of woman fighter loading gun 5. SOUNDBITE (Kurdish) Nuda Zagros, 19-year-old fighter with YPJ forces: “To secure our own place within the government, we must be an independent and a special force composed of all women. So, we can have our own will and keep our own identity and spread that in the whole world.” 6. Various of women fighters training at shooting range 7. Wide of women fighters walking 8. SOUNDBITE (Kurdish) Amara Botan, 29-year-old, leader with YPJ forces: “For the integration that has been going on now, and for a democratic Syria, women must have their place in it. We as the Women’s Protection Units must have our say against all these mentalities. We have to prove ourselves and have our own place in democratic Syria so, we can play an active role and become the leader of this revolution.” 9. Mid of women fighters loading their weapons 10. Mid of women fighters 11. Wide of women fighters standing with flag ASSOCIATED PRESS Hassakeh, Syria - 11 September 2026 12. Various of YPJ leader Nowruz Ahmad at base 13. SOUNDBITE (Kurdish) Nowruz Ahmad, commander of Women’s Protection Units YPJ: “We submitted our request to operate as special mission forces, to take part as a regiment within special mission forces. This was our request. They said that there are no women within this force, I mean there are no women in special mission forces. However, they said there are women in the ministry and within the general security and we would like to increase the number of them and we don’t have any issues with that. But it can’t be within the special mission forces because it is an operational force.” ASSOCIATED PRESS Derik, Syria - 12 September 2026 14. Various of women fighters resting after training ASSOCIATED PRESS Hassakeh, Syria - 11 September 2026 15. SOUNDBITE (Kurdish) Nowruz Ahmad, commander of Women’s Protection Units YPJ: “They must discuss that and reply to us. Also, we are preparing our force, because it is a new issue for us too, and we must discuss it. I mean it has not been solved fully, the issue of our YPJ forces. How it will be solved, where it will be, and what is the solution, I can say they are all under discussion.” ASSOCIATED PRESS Derik, Syria - 12 September 2026 16. Various of women fighters marching through field STORYLINE: The fate of Syria's all-women fighting units has become a dispute point between Kurdish groups and the new Syrian government, as negotiations over the integration of the Women's Protection Units, or YPJ, remain unresolved. YPJ commander Nowruz Ahmad told The Associated Press that the group had requested to operate as a regiment within the interior ministry's special mission forces, but that the government had rejected the proposal. "They said there are no women within this force, there are no women in special mission forces," Ahmad said. "However, they said there are women in the ministry and within general security, and we would like to increase the number of them and we don't have any issues with that. But it can't be within the special mission forces because it is an operational force." Ahmad said details of any alternative arrangement remained unresolved. "How it will be solved, where it will be, and what is the solution, I can say they are all under discussion," she said. "So we can have our own will and keep our own identity." Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...