Syrian Kurdish Leader Declares SDF Dissolved After Army Merger

Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), announced on Tuesday that the group has been dissolved. The declaration came during a televised speech from the presidential palace in Damascus. Abdi said the dissolution follows the formal integration of SDF fighters into the Syrian military. The SDF is a Kurdish-led alliance that has controlled large parts of northeastern Syria for years. The move marks a significant political victory for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. It brings the SDF, once a key U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State group, under the direct command of the central government. The announcement signals a major shift in Syria's post-war landscape, as Damascus moves to reassert control over the country's fragmented territories.