Mazloum Abdi, the commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), announced the official dissolution of the group on Tuesday. The announcement was made during a televised speech delivered from the presidential palace in Damascus.
The dissolution follows an integration plan agreed upon earlier this year with the Islamist-led government in Damascus. SDF fighters have been integrated into the Syrian military, representing a major victory for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Backed by Washington, the SDF was at the forefront of the battle against ISIL for a decade and once controlled a de facto autonomous zone in Syria's northeast. Following these years of conflict, the SDF commander has campaigned for the preservation of the Kurdish language.