Syrian Kurdish forces dissolve after integration into army

DAMASCUS, Syria (MNTV) — The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led force that played a central role in defeating Daesh in Syria with US backing, has formally ended its existence as an independent military organization after completing its integration into the Syrian army.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announced the dissolution in a televised address from the presidential palace in Damascus, saying the process of incorporating the group’s fighters into Syrian army brigades had been completed.

The announcement ends the SDF’s decade-long existence as one of Syria’s most powerful armed groups and marks a major shift in the country’s post-war balance of power.

The SDF was established in 2015 with strong US support after Kurdish fighters played a key role in defeating Daesh in Kobani. It subsequently became Washington’s principal ground partner in the campaign against the militant group, eventually helping drive Daesh from most of its territorial strongholds in Syria.

At its peak, the SDF was estimated to have around 100,000 Kurdish and Arab fighters and controlled large parts of northern and northeastern Syria, including areas containing significant oil resources.

Abdi said the force had carried major responsibilities during years of conflict and had helped free Syrian towns and cities from both the former Baathist government and Daesh. He said Syria had now entered a different phase centered on peace and political participation.

The dissolution follows months of military and political pressure on the Kurdish-led administration.

Clashes in January resulted in government forces taking substantial territory from the SDF, after which Damascus and Kurdish authorities reached an agreement to incorporate Kurdish military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state.

The agreement also included provisions recognizing Kurdish national rights and recognizing Kurdish as a national language, a significant development for a community that faced decades of restrictions under successive Syrian governments.

The SDF subsequently lost further strength after Arab fighters defected following government forces’ takeover of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor, according to Syria specialist Fabrice Balanche.

The Kurdish forces had also faced repeated Turkish military interventions between 2016 and 2019. Ankara has long accused the SDF of maintaining links with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which Türkiye considers a terrorist organization.

Under the integration agreement, the SDF committed to removing non-Syrian PKK leaders and members from Syrian territory.

For President Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s government, the dissolution represents a significant step toward consolidating control over territory that had previously been administered largely outside Damascus’ authority. The agreement allows the government to strengthen its claim to a unified Syrian state following the fall of Bashar Assad.

For Syria’s Kurds, however, the end of the SDF as an independent force marks a major setback for long-standing aspirations for autonomous political and military structures.

Abdi has continued to emphasize that Kurdish political demands will not disappear with the military integration. Last week, he said the Kurdish administration’s incorporation into the Syrian state had been completed while stressing that efforts would continue to secure Kurdish rights through the constitution.

The transformation also highlights the changing position of the United States in Syria. Washington relied heavily on the SDF during its campaign against Daesh but subsequently shifted its relationship toward the new authorities in Damascus following Assad’s removal in late 2024.

The dissolution therefore closes one of the most consequential chapters of Syria’s post-Daesh conflict while leaving unresolved questions over the extent to which Kurdish political, cultural and constitutional rights will be protected within the reconstituted Syrian state.