The Anti-Terror Units (, short: YAT, ) are the
special forces
Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
of the
Syrian Democratic Forces
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a Kurds in Syria, Kurdish-led coalition of U.S.-backed Left-wing politics, left-wing ethnic militias and rebel groups, and serves as the official military wing of the Democratic Autonomous Administration ...
, consisting of the best trained and equipped members of the
People's Protection Units
The People's Defense Units (YPG), also called People's Protection Units, is a libertarian socialist US-backed Kurds in Syria, Kurdish militant group in Syria and the primary component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The YPG mostl ...
(YPG) and
Women's Protection Units (YPJ). They were led by the
Syrian Kurdish commander Ali Boutan until his death in 2016, then by Shervan Kobani until his death in 2023.
[ YAT is trained by United States special operations forces and the CIA.]
History
Formed as the YPG's special forces in late 2014, the unit was organized to seek and destroy Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signi ...
(ISIL) sleeper cells in Rojava and to conduct operations behind enemy lines. At first, the unit "existed in name only", as it consisted of "fierce fighters but only just that". This changed under the leadership of Ali Boutan who reformed YAT and began to put its members through training courses that were intended to emulate those of US and British special forces, while providing them with the best equipment the YPG/YPJ could afford. As cooperation between the YPG and the United States increased, YAT was further trained by US special forces and the CIA in designated compounds in Rojava and Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
, while some YAT commanders were sent to Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...
and Fort Campbell for in-depth training.
Since its formation, YAT has carried out raids against ISIL targets, arrested ISIL sleeper cells, and stopped ISIL terrorist attacks. In September 2016, YAT captured two Sultan Murad Division fighters who had previously been filmed torturing YPG fighters in Jarabulus.
In November 2016, Boutan was the target of an improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional warfare, conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached t ...
(IED) in Qamishli, which exploded as his car passed by. Even though an American SOF medic attempted to save his life, he died of his wounds shortly after. The attack was believed to have been carried out by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization
loction 39°54'25.0"N 32°39'59.3"E
The National Intelligence Organization (), also known by its Turkish language, Turkish initials MIT or MİT, or colloquially as the Organization (), is an intelligence agency of the Turkish government tasked ...
. The Turkish pro-government Anadolu Agency
Anadolu Agency (, ; abbreviated AA) is a state-run news agency headquartered in Ankara, Turkey.
History
The Anadolu Agency was founded in 1920 during the Turkish War of Independence by the order of Mustafa Kemal Pasha. As the Empire's capital � ...
claimed that Boutan had been responsible for sending Kurdistan Workers' Party
The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or the PKK, isDespite the PKK's 12th Congress announcing plans for total organisational dissolution, the PKK has not yet been dissolved de facto or de jure. a Kurds, Kurdish militant political organization and armed ...
(PKK) fighters into Turkey in order to conduct "terror operations".
In April 2017, YAT aided US special forces in capturing parts of the Tabqa Dam from ISIL. During the battle, YAT commandos were equipped with US-supplied combat helmet
A combat helmet, also called a ballistic helmet, battle helmet, or helmet system (for some Modular design, modular accessory-centric designs) is a type of helmet designed to serve as a piece of body armor intended to protect the wearer's head du ...
s, AN/PVS-7 night vision device
A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD) or night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision.
The ...
s, flashlights, and were armed with M4 carbines equipped with AN/PEQ-2 laser sight
A laser sight is a device attached or integral to a firearm to aid target acquisition. Unlike Telescopic sight, optical and Iron sights, iron Sight (device), sights where the user looks through the device to aim at the target, laser sights projec ...
s, holographic weapon sight
A holographic weapon sight or holographic diffraction sight is a non-magnification, magnifying gunsight that allows the user to look through a glass optical window and see a holographic reticle image superimposed at a distance on the field of view. ...
s, and STANAG magazines.
On 21 June 2017, YAT captured five ISIL sleeper agents who were preparing a terrorist attack in Manbij. In January 2018, the Anti-Terror Units killed the mastermind of the July 2016 Qamishli bombings, Hisen Ayid el-Bilebil Ebu el-Walid, during operations in Deir ez-Zor Governorate. In the same month, they also captured around twenty foreign members of ISIL as they attempted to flee from Syria to Turkey. One of those arrested was Thomas Barnouin, a French jihadist who is considered to be one of the planners of the 2012 Toulouse attack and the November 2015 Paris attacks.
YAT was involved in resisting Operation Olive Branch in early 2018, with some of its members reportedly killed by the Turkish Armed Forces
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; , TSK) are the armed forces, military forces of the Turkey, Republic of Turkey. The TAF consist of the Turkish Army, Land Forces, the Turkish Navy, Naval Forces and the Turkish Air Force, Air Forces. The Chief of ...
.
On 1 September 2019, YAT captured Mohammed Remedan Eyd al-Talah, ISIL's chief financial officer, during a raid in ash-Shahil, Deir ez-Zor Governorate.
9 YAT members including its commander Shervan Kobani were killed when two helicopters carrying them crashed in Duhok Governorate, Kurdistan Region
Kurdistan Region (KRI) is a semi-autonomous Federal regions of Iraq, federal region of the Iraq, Republic of Iraq. It comprises four Kurds, Kurdish-majority governorates of Arabs, Arab-majority Iraq: Erbil Governorate, Sulaymaniyah Governorate ...
on 15 March 2023.[
]
Gallery
Image:YAT training.png, YAT fighters during training
Image:YAT casualty.jpg, A military parade in honor of a killed female YAT member
Image:YAT fighters 3.jpg, YAT fighters in late 2015
Image:YAT fighters 1.jpg, YAT fighters in mid-2016
Image:YAT fighters 2.jpg, YAT fighters in mid-2016
Anti-Terror Units (YAT) martyrs.png, 9 YAT fighters who were killed in the March 2023 helicopter crash
See also
* Asayish
* Hêzên Komandos
References
{{commons category, Anti-Terror Units
People's Defense Units
2015 establishments in Syria
Syrian Democratic Forces
Syrian Kurdish organizations
Special forces units and formations
Women in war