Abdi announces end of SDF mission and dissolution as independent force
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi announced on Tuesday the end of the force’s mission and its dissolution as an independent military force, following the completion of the process to integrate its forces into brigades of the Syrian army.
In a statement addressing Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the Syrian people, SDF fighters and the families of its martyrs, Abdi described the development as a “historic moment” marking the closing of an important chapter in Syria’s history and the beginning of a new phase centered on “peace, stability and nation-building.”
“After the agreement with President al-Sharaa and the completion of the process of integrating our forces into the brigades of the Syrian army, we announce today the end of the mission of the Syrian Democratic Forces and, with full responsibility, declare their dissolution as an independent military force,” Abdi said.
Abdi said SDF fighters had assumed a major role during one of the most difficult periods in Syria’s history, fighting first against the Baathist government and later against the Islamic State (ISIS).
He paid tribute to thousands of fighters killed during the battles, saying they had sacrificed their lives for a safer future for Syria’s children.
“We will carry the memory of our martyrs with us and preserve their sacrifices in our collective consciousness, because they did not fight for the sake of war, but so that a day would come when Syrians would no longer need to fight,” Abdi said.
He described the new phase as a transition “from battlefields to the fields of construction, from the era of weapons to the era of peace, and from defending Syria to building Syria.”
Kurdish language education
Abdi also addressed the issue of Kurdish-language education, describing the right to education in Kurdish as one of the most important rights sought by the Kurdish people for decades.
He said al-Sharaa had announced on several occasions his commitment to safeguarding the right.
Abdi added that the SDF had sought an “open position” from the Syrian president regarding education in the mother tongue and the future development of the current decision.
“We will work to implement this decision during the current year so that we can build upon it in the near future,” he said.
The issue of Kurdish-language education has remained among the key questions in negotiations between Damascus and Kurdish representatives over the integration of northeastern Syria into state institutions. Recent talks between the two sides have focused in part on education and other outstanding aspects of the integration process.
The SDF was established in October 2015 as a coalition of predominantly Kurdish, Arab and Syriac/Assyrian forces to fight ISIS in Syria. The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) formed its main military component, while Arab and other local formations also joined the alliance.
The force became the principal Syrian partner of the U.S.-led Global Coalition in the campaign against ISIS. With Coalition air and military support, the SDF captured major areas from ISIS, including Manbij, Raqqa and the group’s last territorial strongholds in eastern Syria. ISIS lost its territorial caliphate in Syria in 2019, although its cells have continued to pose a security threat.
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, the SDF entered negotiations with the new authorities in Damascus over its future and the status of northeastern Syria. The process later produced agreements aimed at incorporating SDF military, security and civilian institutions into the Syrian state.
In January 2026, Damascus and the SDF reached an agreement providing a framework for integrating the Kurdish-led force and institutions into state structures. The process has since advanced in stages, although questions including the status of Kurdish rights and the integration of women’s forces remained contentious.
Abdi’s announcement marks a major shift for the SDF, which for more than a decade operated as a powerful military force across large parts of northeastern Syria. It also comes as Damascus and SDF representatives work to complete outstanding aspects of the integration process.