Syrian Democratic Forces complete integration with Syrian state, says Mazloum Abdi

Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), announced on Thursday the completion of the integration of Kurdish civil and military institutions into Syrian state bodies. The move comes about eight months after an agreement was signed with Syrian President Ahmed Shar'a.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the centenary of the founding of Qamishli in northeastern Syria, Abdi said, "The phase of integrating military, security, and administrative institutions into national state bodies has been completed." He declared the start of a new phase following the conclusion of the integration process.

The announcement follows years in which Kurdish forces played a key role in fighting Daesh and, after the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011, established a self-administration with organized civil and military institutions.

On January 29, the Syrian government announced it had reached an agreement with the SDF to implement a ceasefire and begin a phased integration of SDF military and administrative forces into state institutions.

The agreement included the entry of security forces into the centers of Hasakah and Qamishli, as well as the transfer of civil and government institutions, crossings, and border points to state control, as part of reintegrating areas and institutions previously under Kurdish administration into Syrian state structures.