DAMASCUS, Syria — The leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the Washington-backed group at the forefront of the battle against the Islamic State jihadist group, announced their dissolution on Tuesday under a deal with the government.

After being Syria’s most highly-trained and organized paramilitary force for years, Washington promptly dropped the SDF in favor of the new US-friendly authorities in Damascus after the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.

The forces’ leader, Mazloum Abdi, declared their dissolution in a televised speech at the presidential palace in Damascus.

“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,” he said.

Abdi explained that the announcement followed “the completion of the process of integrating our forces into the brigades of the Syrian army.”

The SDF was formed in 2015 at the instigation of the United States, which was impressed by the Kurdish fighters who had defeated ISIS in Kobane in the north and was seeking a reliable partner in the ongoing battle against the jihadists.

The group went on to spearhead the battle against ISIS, which was defeated territorially in Syria four years later.

“Since the creation of the SDF, its fighters have shouldered a heavy responsibility during one of the most difficult periods” for Syria, Abdi said........

© The Times of Israel