DAMASCUS, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), announced Tuesday the dissolution of the SDF as a military force, saying its mission had ended as the country moves toward a new phase of integration and state-building.
"Today, we announce the end of the mission of the Syrian Democratic Forces, and we responsibly announce its dissolution as a military force," Abdi said at a press conference in the Syrian capital Damascus, according to Syria's state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV.
The announcement follows the integration of the SDF, the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration and their affiliated military and civilian structures into Syrian state institutions, formally ending their operation as separate structures.
Abdi said the move should mark the beginning of a new chapter centered on peace, stability and rebuilding the country after years of conflict.
The announcement marks a major development in efforts to reunify Syria's military, security and administrative institutions following months of negotiations between Damascus and the Kurdish-led authorities in northeastern Syria.
Earlier this month, Abdi said that the integration of the SDF's military, security and administrative institutions into Syrian state structures had been completed and that a new phase would follow.
For years during Syria's conflict, the Kurdish-led administration controlled large parts of the country's north and northeast, establishing its own military, security and civilian institutions. ■
