Northern Democratic Brigade

Northern Democratic Brigade
Arabic: لواء الشمال الديمقراطي, romanized: Liwa al-Shamal al-Democrati
Emblem of the Northern Democratic Brigade. The unit also uses the Syrian independence flag.[1]
Leaders	Absi Taha ("Abu Omar al-Idlibi") Alexander Khalil Alexander Alaa
Dates of operation	c. 2013 – present
Headquarters	Jabal Zawiya (2013–2014) Afrin District (2014–2015) Shahba region (since 2016)
Active regions	Northern Syria
Ideology	Democracy[2] Syrian nationalism[3] Anti-neo-Ottomanism[4] Anti-racism[2] Anti-Islamism[5] Federalism Democratic confederalism[6]
Size	c. 1200–1300
Part of	Free Syrian Army[5] Free Zawiya Union (2013–2014)[7] Free Syria Brigade (2014)[8] Syrian Revolutionaries Front (2013–2014)[5][9] Syrian Salvation Front (2014)[8][10] Army of Revolutionaries (2015–2016)[8] Syrian Democratic Forces (since Nov. 2015)[11] Idlib Military Council Manbij Military Council
Allies	National Unity Brigades (2013–2014)[12] Idlib Martyrs' Brigade (2013–2014)[7] Kurdish Front (since 2014) YPG/YPJ (since 2014)
Opponents	Islamic State  Turkey[13] Syrian National Army[13] Al-Nusra Front Ahrar al-Sham Syrian Armed Forces (2013–2014)
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Idlib Governorate clashes (June 2012–April 2013) Battle of Aleppo (2012–2016) al-Nusra Front–SRF/Hazzm Movement conflict[9] 2015 Al-Hawl offensive Operation Euphrates Shield Western al-Bab offensive (September 2016) Western al-Bab offensive (October–November 2016)[13] Battle of al-Bab[14] Raqqa campaign (2016–2017) Battle of Raqqa (2017)[15] Turkish military intervention in Idlib Governorate[4] Deir ez-Zor campaign (2017–2019) Battle of Baghuz Fawqani Operation Olive Branch 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria Battle of Ras al-Ayn (2019) 2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes Deir ez-Zor Clashes (2023)
Preceded by al-Qa'qa' Brigade

The Northern Democratic Brigade (Arabic: لواء الشمال الديمقراطي, romanized: Liwa al-Shamal al-Democrati) is a Free Syrian Army unit that is closely allied to the Syrian Kurdish YPG and YPJ in Afrin Region since 2014. Led by Absi Taha, Alexander Khalil, and Alexander Alaa, it also joined the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in November 2015. The initial members of the group originated from Jabal Zawiya in Idlib, and it has recruited Arabs from Idlib, Aleppo, and other cities in northern Syria since allying with the YPG. Since joining the SDF, the unit has begun to operate across much of northern and eastern Syria, participating in operations against anti-SDF Syrian opposition factions, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the Turkish Armed Forces, and the Syrian National Army.