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Kurdish-Led SDF Dissolves After Merger With Syrian Army

The merger hands Damascus control of former SDF forces, leaving thousands of fighters, the YPJ’s status, Kurdish cultural rights and resource control unresolved.

The Syrian Democratic Forces were formed in 2015 at the instigation of the United States, impressed by Kurdish fighters and seeking a partner in the battle against the jihadists of the Islamic State group
A boy walks past murals depicting Kurdish YPG and YPJ fighters battling Islamic State militants in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)
A flag bearing Kurdish colors flies above a building marked "Kurdistan" as traffic moves through an intersection in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)
Residents carry bags of leafy greens past produce stalls at a market in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)

Overview

  • SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announced the group’s dissolution and said its forces had merged into the Syrian army in a televised address at the presidential palace on Tuesday.
  • Reports differ on how many fighters have been absorbed: some officials cite roughly 5,000 integrated into new brigades while other tallies put the total already integrated at about 10,000–12,000, leaving many personnel’ status unresolved.
  • The future of the all-female Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) remains contested because Damascus rejects integrating them as an intact female combat formation and YPJ leaders oppose only individual transfers into state ranks.
  • Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has issued decrees recognizing Kurdish language rights, making Nowruz a national holiday and restoring citizenship to many Kurds, and senior SDF figures have been placed in state roles as civilian institutions and security units are folded into ministries.
  • The deal hands Damascus control of northeastern oil fields, border crossings and civil services, shifts U.S. policy ties toward the new government, and creates immediate risks for pay, pensions, vetting and local Arab–Kurdish tensions that will shape stability and daily life in the region.