Syrian Democratic Forces

The end of the SDF: What the dissolution means for the Kurds and Sharaa's state - opinion

Following an agreement with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the SDF's mission ended and was being dissolved "as an independent military force" and being integrated into the Syrian army.

|ByNEVILLE TELLER
Soldiers from the Syrian Democratic Forces stand in front of the detainees before the first exchange operation between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government in Aleppo, Syria, April 3, 2025.
A drone view shows the remains of a destroyed tank, following deadly clashes between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and government forces, in Syria's predominantly Druze city of Sweida, Syria July 25, 2025.

Israel can protect Sweida’s Druze without supporting Syria’s separation - opinion

Stability in Sweida will not come from creating new borders, but from building a new relationship between Sweida and the Damascus government.

|ByGHASSAN IBRAHIM
Members of the all women Martyr Ayaz Çiya battalion staff checkpoints and stop vehicles in the Halko neighbourhood on February 8, 2026 in Qamishli, Syria.

Seven years after being displaced, Kurdish families return to Serekaniye - analysis

In 2019, the US briefly considered leaving Syria. It evacuated some posts in the area, not wanting to be in the middle of fighting. It took time for the area to stabilize.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Women and children queue during a joint security operation by Syria's Kurdish Internal Security Police Force, also known as Asayesh, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) at Camp Roj where foreign relatives of people suspected of belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group are held.

Iraq completes investigation into thousands of ISIS detainees formerly held in Syria - report

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had been holding them until the SDF and Syrian government agreed to integrate, at which time US Central Command decided to facilitate a mass transfer.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Senators seek assurance with Save the Kurds Act as Sharaa regime, SDF agree to integration deal

The Save the Kurds Act calls for snapback sanctions if the Syrian regime recommences attacks on Kurds and demands that HTS be redesignated as a terrorist organization

FEBRUARY 1, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Syrian Kurds demonstrate to demand their rights in the Syrian constitution and in support of Kurdish unity, in Qamishli, Syria February 1, 2026.

US special envoy for Iraq Mark Savaya no longer in the post, sources say

The move comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Baghdad over Washington's push to curb Iranian influence in Iraqi politics.

FEBRUARY 1, 2026ByREUTERS
A Shiite Muslim cleric collects forms filled out by men signing up to join the "martyrdom brigades" under the umbrella of Iraq's pro-Iran paramilitary group Hezbollah Brigades, volunteering to serve in the event of war with the US and Israel on January 29, 2026.

Syrian government announce integration deal with Kurdish forces

The sides announced the deal after Syrian government forces under President Ahmed al-Sharaa captured swathes of northern and eastern Syria from the SDF this month.

JANUARY 30, 2026ByREUTERS
Members of the Syrian security forces gather at a back of a vehicle outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria January 23, 2026.

ISIS numbers grow as Syrian instability continues, Iraq warns

In the rare interview, al-Shatri said Iraqi intelligence estimates suggest that ISIS’s presence in Syria has grown from roughly 2,000 fighters a year ago to as many as 10,000 terrorists today.

JANUARY 27, 2026ByASHER SMITH
A soldier in an ISIS uniform prepares ammunition.

Kurdish women turn braids into symbol of resistance after Syria atrocities - explainer

Across global demonstrations and in thousands of videos posted online, Kurdish women and their allies have begun braiding their hair in honor of a female Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces fighter.

JANUARY 27, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
DEMONSTRATORS HOLD a placard featuring a braided hair as a symbolic act of resistance and solidarity with Kurdish women in Syria, during a protest supporting Syrian Kurds after recent clashes between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces, in Istanbul, Turkey, January 24, 2026.

US, UK, France, Germany, call for ceasefire adherence in Syria, support political transition

The statement was released on January 27, two days after the STG and SDF announced they had extended a four-day ceasefire, which began on January 20, by 15 more days.

JANUARY 27, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Members of the Syrian security forces gather at a back of a vehicle outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria January 23, 2026.

‘There will be hell in Syria’: Kurdish campaigner urges international intervention

Rebwar Hazhar, the chairman of Conservative Friends of Kurdistan, told The Jerusalem Post that Washington’s relationship with Damascus would only be temporary.

JANUARY 25, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
A member of the Syrian army walks with a weapon in the street as civilians flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Aleppo, Syria, January 7, 2026

Kobane under siege: Humanitarian corridors open amid Syria's Kurdish crackdown

A resident of Kobane said, “We are in a dire condition. We are melting snow through fire, but we do not have [enough] fire to melt the snow with."

JANUARY 25, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A group of civilians carry bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 7, 2026

The price of delusion: Trump’s Syria policy and the approaching storm - opinion

The Trump administration’s policy toward the region is built upon a house of cards constructed from major delusions.

JANUARY 25, 2026ByAMED MARDIN
A group of detainees gather at al-Hol camp after the Syrian government took control of it following the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Hasaka, Syria, January 21, 2026.

Syria extends ceasefire with Kurds to support ISIS detainee transfer

The extension was decided to support a United States operation to transfer Islamic State prisoners from Syria to Iraq, Syria's defence ministry stated.

JANUARY 24, 2026ByREUTERS
Members of the Syrian government security forces stand guard as a group of detainees gather at al-Hol camp after the government took control of it following the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Hasaka, Syria, January 21, 2026.