| Internal Security Forces Asayish (Asayîş) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 2012–present |
| Country |  Syria |
| Allegiance |   Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria |
| Type | Police |
| Role | Security and policing |
| Size | c. 15,000[2](2016) |
| Engagements | |
| Website | http://www.asayish.com/ |
| Commanders | |
| Chief of Asayish forces | Ciwan Ibrahim[2] |
| Spokesman | Brig. Gen. Aba Ali Hassan[3] |
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TheInternal Security Forces,[a] also known as theAsayish[b] in theJazira,Euphrates, andAfrin Regions,[1] is the internal security and police force in theDemocratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. Formed in the early stages of theSyrian Civil War, it had initially been established to police areas controlled by theKurdish 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]
According to theConstitution of the Democratic Autonomous Administration 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 theJazira Region, the Asayish are further complemented by the AssyrianSutoro 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 ofQamishli 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 AssyrianKhabour Guards andNattoreh also provide security in towns along theKhabur River.[6]
On 17 May 2017, theRaqqa Internal Security Forces were established for policing inRaqqa.[7]
On 25 May 2017, a female branch of the Asayish was established inAl-Shaddadah.[8]
On 4 July 2018, a conference of the Internal Security Forces took place inRaqqa. At the conference, two flags were adopted for the ISF; one saying only Internal Security Forces in Arabic, used in theRaqqa, Tabqa, Deir Ezzor, and Manbij regions, and one saying Asayish as well, used in theJazira, Afrin, and Euphrates regions.[1]
The Asayish police has around 15,000 personnel: 10,000 in theJazira Region, 3,000 in theAfrin Region, and 2,000 in theEuphrates 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 inTell 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]
While Asayish is primarily a police, the forces of Asayish were involved in tensions against theNational Defense Forces, a pro-government militia. The tensions led to theBattle 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 theBattle of Qamishli, in April 2021.[10]
In the course of theRaqqa campaign, the Asayish established theRaqqa Internal Security Forces.[11]
As with other institutions in the autonomous region, the Asayish are striving for a force based on gender equality. An estimated 25% of Asayish members are women, and the local Asayish forces are co-led by a man and woman. In addition to protecting civilians from armed attacks, the Asayish has created a special branch composed solely of women which is dedicated to gender-based violence, family disputes between women and protection of women during protests, and public celebrations. Their objective is to take care of every case in which a woman gets involved, from gender-based violence to a bank robbery.
Female members of the force face additional risk from attacks by radicalIslamists.[12] Some women regard joining the Asayish as an act of personal and societal liberation.[13]
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Throughout the region, the municipal Civilian Defense Forces (HPC)[14] and the regionalSelf-Defense Forces (HXP)[15] also serve local-level security.[5]
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According to the pro-PYDPeace in Kurdistan Campaign, the region's government is working towards providing all citizens with Asayish training. The ultimate hope is that once the vast majority of citizens have been trained, security can be maintained amongst the citizens and the Asayish itself can be dissolved.[16]
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 outcounterinsurgency operations such asHigh Value Target (HVT) raids[17]
