Sipan Hamo
Sipan Hamo | |
|---|---|
Sîpan Hemo | |
Hamo in 2025 | |
| Deputy Minister of Defence for the Eastern Region | |
| Assumed office 10 March 2026 | |
| President | Ahmed al-Sharaa |
| Minister | Murhaf Abu Qasra |
| Personal details | |
| Known for | High-ranking commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
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| Branch/service |
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| Battles/wars | |
Sipan Hamo (Kurdish: Sîpan Hemo), whose birth name is Samir Aso,[1] is a Syrian military officer serving as the Deputy Minister of Defense for the Eastern Region since March 2026. He was the general commander of the People's Defense Units, and a member of the general command of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Early life
Hamo was born in the Syrian city of Afrin to a Kurdish family, born Samir Aso. He began his political and military trajectory in 1994 when he joined the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). He spent his formative years in the PKK’s military structure, receiving training in the group’s camps in the Qandil Mountains of northern Iraq. During this period, he used several noms de guerre, including "Darwish Afrin" and "Swar", before adopting the name Sipan Hamo.[1]
Commander of the YPG
With the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011, Hamo returned to Syria and became one of the principal founders of the People’s Protection Units (YPG). He rose to the position of Commander-in-Chief, overseeing the group’s evolution from a localized militia into a disciplined and effective fighting force.[1]
In October 2017, he travelled to Russia to meet with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief-of-Staff Valery Gerasimov over the future of Deir ez-Zour and Raqqa.[2] Hamo was the highest SDF officer to travel to Russia since the beginning of the Syrian civil war.[3] In February 2018, Hamo commented on Russia's lack of intervention in response to Turkey's Operation Olive Branch entering SDF-held Afrin canton, stating that Russia was making a strategic mistake.[4]
A photo of Hamo was first published in August 2025 by the pro-Kurdish Turkish media outlet Nûmedya24 which conducted the first publicized interview with Hamo.[5]
In an extensive interview with the SDF Media Center on 18 October 2025, Hamo stated that the upcoming steps taken by the Damascus government would be the decisive factor in determining the fate of the integration process — "whether it accelerates, slows down, or perhaps freezes entirely".[6]
Government role
On 10 March 2026, the Syrian Defense Ministry announced that Hamo was appointed Deputy Defense Minister for the Eastern Region of Syria.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Sipan Hamo: From PKK Cadre to Deputy Minister of Defense for Eastern Syria". The Syrian Observer. 11 March 2026.
- ^ Karzan Sulaivany (16 September 2017). "Syrian army bombards Kurdish-led forces in Deir al-Zor". Kurdistan24. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
- ^ Moubayed, Sami (17 October 2017). "Syrian endgame is nigh as rival factions look to cut deals". Asia Times. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ "One Turkish soldier killed, military death toll hits 31 since Afrin operation". Rûdaw. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ Nedim Türfent; Diyar Ciwan (8 August 2025). "DSG'den 'entegrasyon' ve 'silahsızlanma' şartı — Sîpan Hemo: Elimizdeki silahlar, Suriye'nin ortak silahı olacak" [SDF demands on 'integration' and 'disarmament' — Sîpan Hemo: The weapons we have will be Syria's common weapon] (in Turkish). Nûmedya24.
- ^ "Sipan Hemo: The SDF Is Ready to Join Syria's National Army — On the Condition of Preserving Its Identity". Kurdistan24. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ^ Dalatey, Feras (10 March 2026). "Syria appoints Kurdish YPG commander deputy defence minister". Reuters.