US-Backed Kurdish Force Dissolves Into Syrian Army

The Syrian Democratic Forces — the Kurdish-led militia the United States built to fight the Islamic State — no longer exists. Commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi announced its dissolution Tuesday in a televised speech from the presidential palace in Damascus, saying its fighters have been absorbed into the Syrian army.

"We announce today the end of the mission of the Syrian Democratic Forces and declare, with full responsibility, their dissolution as an independent military force," Abdi said, according to France 24.

He said the announcement followed "the completion of the process of integrating our forces into the brigades of the Syrian army."

France 24 reported the move is a major victory for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has been working to cement control over all of Syria since Bashar al-Assad was ousted in late 2024 — and the end of the Kurds' long-held push for autonomy.

Why Americans should care

The SDF was formed in 2015 at the instigation of the United States, which was impressed by the Kurdish fighters who had beaten the Islamic State at Kobane and wanted a reliable partner against the jihadists, France 24 reported. The group went on to spearhead the ground war against IS, which was defeated territorially in Syria four years later.

At its peak the force numbered around 100,000 Kurdish and Arab fighters and controlled swaths of Syria's oil-rich north and northeast, according to France 24.

After Assad's fall, France 24 reported, Washington promptly dropped the SDF in favor of the new US-friendly authorities in Damascus. The Jerusalem Post noted the United States rescinded sanctions on Syria on August 24.