Pentagon Commits USD130M to Train PKK-Linked Forces in Syria

(MENAFN) The Pentagon has designated $130 million for the 2026 fiscal year under the "Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund (CTEF)," aimed at supporting armed groups in Syria, including the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is led by the PKK/YPG terrorist organization.

A Department of Defense budget justification document reveals that these funds will back the training, provision of equipment, and monthly payments for the US-backed SDF and the Syrian Free Army, operating primarily in southeastern Syria, as well as other "vetted partner forces" in Iraq and Lebanon.

The allocation covers light weaponry, medical supplies, and infrastructure repairs, with the document warning that an ISIS (Daesh) resurgence threatens U.S. national security interests along with the populations of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the wider global community.

Out of the $130 million allotted for Syria, $7.42 million is specifically earmarked for the Syrian Free Army, tasked to "extend its reach" against ISIS fighters in the Badiyah Desert area, the document states.

This follows prior Pentagon budgets allocating $147.9 million in 2025 and $156 million in 2024 to armed groups connected to the PKK/YPG under the guise of combating ISIS in Syria.

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the European Union, has conducted a four-decade-long terror campaign against Türkiye, causing over 40,000 deaths, including women, children, infants, and elderly civilians. The YPG serves as its Syrian branch.

For the first time, the Pentagon’s budget also includes a $15 million boost for the Lebanese Armed Forces to enhance their counterterrorism capabilities, particularly in the southern Litani region bordering Israel. The document highlights that ISIS continues to take advantage of the Syria-Lebanon border’s porous nature to facilitate logistics and recruitment.

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