SDF commander announces disbandment of forces and integration into Syrian army
In Syria, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi stated in Damascus on August 25 that the formation is ceasing to exist as an independent military force and is integrating into the Syrian army in the form of brigades. A Jerusalem Post column notes that this followed an agreement with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Abdi also announced the integration of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, as well as its affiliated military and civilian structures, into state institutions. According to him, the SDF's mission has been completed.
Agreement between Damascus and the SDF
As the column's author writes, al-Sharaa and Abdi concluded an agreement on March 10, 2025, under which the SDF's civilian and military structures, including border crossings, oil and gas facilities, and airports, were to come under state control. In return, Kurds were to be recognized as an integral part of Syria and granted citizenship, political participation, and other rights.
The author believes that the agreement lacked sufficient details and proved unstable. According to his account, in January 2026, government troops launched an offensive against the SDF and quickly seized significant territories controlled by the force. After the ceasefire, SDF representatives joined Syria's ministries of defense and interior, while the government took control of crossings, oil and gas fields, and civilian institutions.
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Integration of Kurdish structures
A few days after the statement on the SDF's disbandment, al-Sharaa appointed Abdi as a presidential adviser. The column's author interprets this as a signal of an intention to integrate the Kurdish leadership into the state governance system.
The SDF was created in 2015 as a coalition of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), Women's Protection Units (YPJ), Arab, Assyrian, and other local armed groups. With US support, the formation fought against the Islamic State group and, after capturing Baghouz in 2019, ended its “caliphate” in Syria.
In the author's view, the SDF's integration is part of al-Sharaa's policy of subordinating independent military and civilian structures to the central authorities. Syria is also undergoing a five-year transition period defined by the Constitutional Declaration of March 13, 2025. Its completion envisages the adoption of a permanent constitution and the holding of elections; the column names March 2030 as the approximate deadline.
