Basic Guide to Factions in the Syrian Civil War - November 2014 - Part III - Kurdish Rebels

It's been quite some time since the last update in the faction list, which is now severely outdated. For all those who desire an as-simple-as-possible faction guide to the Syrian Civil War, here is a list for those fighting on the side of the Kurdish rebels.

Iraqi Kurdistan - Secular autonomous Kurdish nationalist region in Iraq, headed by President Massoud Barzani.

• Peshmerga - Official national army of Iraqi Kurdistan. Has 250,000-357,000 active fighters total, with 160 in Syria.

Syriac Union Party - Political party working for greater Assyrian rights and independence. Headed by Ishow Gowriye.

• Sutoro - Security force of the Syriac Union Party. Headed by Johann Cosar. Has 1,000+ active officers. Active in al-Hasakah province.

Syrian Kurdistan government - Provisional autonomous Kurdish democratic confederalist government headed by President Salih Muslim Muhammad.

• Asayish - Official security and police force of Syrian Kurdistan. Headed by Hasim Muhammad. Claims to have 4,000 active officers.

• Kurdish Front Brigade - Pro-Kurdish independence militia made up of both Arabs and Kurds. Headed by Hajji Ahmed Kurdi. Claims to have 7,000 active fighters. Operates in Aleppo and Raqqa provinces. Allied with Liwa Thuwwar al-Raqqa, YPG, Al-Tawhid Brigade, Euphrates Islamic Liberation Front, and Jaysh al-Islam.

• Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - Kurdish Libertarian Socialist political party and militia. Designated by NATO, US, UK, EU, Turkey, France, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Canada, Germany, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and Syria as a terrorist organization. Headed by Abdullah Ocalan. Has 15,000 active fighters. Operates in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Western Europe.

• People's Protection Units (YPG) - Semi-regular national military of Syrian Kurdistan. Recently took up alliances with other Syrian rebels after being at war with them years beforehand, in order to fight the IS. Headed by General Commander Sipan Hemo. Has 45,000-50,000 active soldiers.