Christian Militias in Syria

A number of Christian militias have formed in Syria. Before the war, as much as 10% of the population was Christian, and it formed one of the largest Christian minorities in the middle east.

In the early days of the civil war, some Christian communities were armed by the Syrian Government to defend themselves against what was seen as threatening Islamic units.

These formed defence units called Popular Committees. The popular committees do not exist as standalone units, and have now been combined into the Syrian National Defence force, under its formal structure. .

After the spread of the civil war, and the rise of the Islamasist factions, many Christians have fled, in particular in fear of ISIS, who have persecuted Christians in the areas that have come under their control Some of those that have stayed had formed militias, largely to protect their own populations from ISIS and hardline Islamic factions. While initially forming to protect their own territory, some of the larger militias have gone on the offensive. Christian Militias in Syria either support the Government, or work with the Kurdish forces in Rojava

By comparison with other armed groups in Syria, Christian militias are not large, with the Syriac Military Council being the largest.

Christians in Lebanon have also formed militias to fight against ISIS incursions from Syria, over the border

Syriac Military Council

See main article Syriac Military Council

The Syriac Military Council (going by the Abbreviation MFS) is a largely Armenian Christian, with its headquarters in al-Malikiyah. It is the main Christian rebel faction in the North East (Al Hasakah province). It is composed of 3 - 4 Battalions, roughly 1200 strong. The groups has fought with the Kurdhish. The Militia has confronted, with their allies, the Jabhat al-Nusra front in Tel Hamis in 2013, and finally regained the city in late February 2015. Assyrian forces defended Christian villages of the Khabour area from ISIS attacks, also in 2015. They were also involved in the effort to retake Hasakah, successfully liberating the town from ISIS in conjunction with the YPJ. The group is armed mainly with light and some medium weapons, and some armoured vehicles, and has appealed to the West for heavier weapons. The West presently only sends weapons to other rebel group, but has so far not offered any aid, with the militia sourcing most of its low level weapons locally.

The Female Protection Forces of the Land Between the Two Rivers

This is a small female only force of Syriac Christians, the formation of which was influenced by female fighters in the YPG.

Sutoro

See main article Sutoro

Sutoro (the Syriac Security Office) is another militia, based around the city of Qamishla. it is a smaller militia, and arms checkpoints in cities, including Tel Tamr

Sootoro

See main article Sootoro

The Sootoro is based only in the city of Qamishli, in the North East Kurdish area. It is a small militia, aligned with the Syrian regime.

Gozarto Protection Force

This is a Christian Militia based in Homs, in Syria's Northwest. It is allied with the Syrian Government, and fights in conjuction with the Syrian Army. It has been active in the defense of the majority Christian town of Sadad from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Dwekh Nawsha (DN)

Small Militia of mainly foreign fighters, supporting defence of vulnerable Christian Villages