Kurdish-led forces in Syria dissolve after merging with army

What the report says

Syrian Democratic Forces commander Mazloum Abdi announced in Damascus on Tuesday that the Kurdish-led force was ending its role as an independent military group and had completed a merger with the Syrian army. The announcement followed a deal with the government in Damascus, marking a major shift for the coalition that had been the main local partner of the United States in the campaign against ISIL in Syria.

According to Al Jazeera’s report, the SDF once controlled a self-administered area in Syria’s northeast, but it lost much of its territory there in a government offensive in January before agreeing to the merger. The group’s dissolution comes after the removal of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 and the rise of an interim government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, which has since developed closer ties with Washington.

Abdi said the move should open a new phase focused on peace, stability and reconstruction. He also said the agreement included recognition of Kurdish-language education rights, with plans to implement Kurdish-language instruction during the current year. He presented the transition as part of building a unified Syria for Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen and Assyrians.

The announcement came one day after the United States removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a long-standing designation that had brought major economic restrictions. The change underscores the broader diplomatic and political realignment now taking place in Syria.