Leader of Syria's Kurdish-led SDF announces dissolution as part of integration with Damascus

The leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, announced on Tuesday the dissolution of the armed militant group under a deal with the government. 

“Following the agreement with President al-Sharaa and the completion of the integration of our forces into units of the Syrian army, we announce today the end of the mission of the Syrian Democratic Forces,” said Abdi, speaking after a meeting with President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus. 

The government and the group, which helped defeat the Islamic State with US backing and held parts of northern and eastern Syria, agreed in January to a phased integration of Kurdish fighters into the state.