| Gozarto Protection Forces – Sootoro | |
|---|---|
| ܣܘܬܪܐ – ܚܝܠܘ̈ܬܐ ܕܣܘܬܪܐ ܕܓܙܪܬܐ | |
 Logos of the GPF (left) and Sootoro (right) | |
| Leaders | Sargon Ibrahim[1] |
| Dates of operation | 2012–2024 |
| Allegiance |  Syrian government |
| Size | 500+(2015)[2] c. 300-400(2017 estimate)[3] |
| Allies | Syria |
| Battles and wars | Syrian Civil War |
| Website | |
TheGozarto Protection Forces (Syriac:ܚܝܠܘ̈ܬܐ ܕܣܘܬܪܐ ܕܓܙܪܬܐ,Arabic:سوتورو, GPF) andSootoro (Syriac:ܣܘܬܪܐ), united as one organisation, was anAssyrian[8][9][10] regionalmilitia based inQamishli andAl-Hasakah Governorate,Syria. The force composed primarily of local Assyrians and someArmenians, founded after the outbreak of theSyrian Civil War that began in 2011. Sootoro claimed to be affiliated with the Civil Peace Committee forSyriac Orthodox.[11] The Qamishli Sootoro was aligned with theBa'athist government ofBashar al-Assad.[12]
TheQamishli Sootoro should not be confused with theSutoro police force which has the same name in the Syriac language, but uses the English translation "Syriac Protection Office" and the transliteration and a different emblem.[13] TheSutoro is associated with theSyriac Union Party and integrated in the administration of theDemocratic Federation of Northern Syria.
In February 2013, the Qamishli branch of the Sutoro began open operations in the Christian neighbourhood of Wusta, which is located near the city centre and has an Assyrian/Syriac majority with a significantArmenian minority. Though it was initially organised by the Syriac Union Party, the Qamishli militia was subsequently brought under the control of a so-called "peace committee" composed of several Christian organisations from the city.[13] The SUP soon lost virtually all influence on this group,[14] which became seen by many SUP members as being controlled by agents of the Syrian government.[13]
In late 2013, the split between this branch and the rest of the Sutoro became clear. Nowtransliterating its name as "Sootoro" (alternately referring to itself as the "Syriac Protection Office"), the militia in Qamishli adopted an entirely different logo and started openly asserting a separate identity. In November, the media office of the Qamishli Sootoro stated that it operated exclusively in the city of Qamishli and had not formed branches anywhere else, furthermore accusing militias outside the city of having appropriated their name. By December, the group was explicitly disavowing any connection to the SUP in their press releases. Though it continues to officially claim neutrality, the Qamishli Sootoro had become effectively a pro-government militia. Members of the group were frequently shown next to government flags and portraits ofBashar al-Assad in visual media, and flags bearing its distinct logo were seen at pro-Assad rallies in the government-controlled sector of the city.[11]
Qamishli was one of the last places in northeast where government forces, having been pushed out of most ofHasakah Governorate by either rebel groups or the Kurdish-autonomist forces of the YPG, still maintained some presence. The Kurds control Kurdish populated districts of Qamishli, while Arab and Assyrian loyalist forces remained in majority-Arab and Assyrian districts in the south respectively, the city centre, theborder crossing to Turkey,Qamishli Airport, and an army base on the southern outskirts. The assertion of loyalist control over the Qamishli militia had been identified as a potential effort by the government to strengthen its position in the city by expanding and solidifying its shrunken territorial holdings.[13]
