What’s behind the SDF’s deal with Damascus?

The Syrian Democratic Forces announces its dissolution after merging with Syria’s army.Founded in 2015 at the height of the Syrian war, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has officially dissolved.The SDF has integrated with the Syrian army, following a deal with Damascus.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4President Ahmed al-Sharaa: Syria seeking security deal with Israellist 2 of 4Iraqi Kurdish regional leader meets Syrian president in Damascuslist 3 of 4Kurdish-led SDF announces dissolution after merging with Syria’s militarylist 4 of 4Kurdish-led SDF has dissolved, but has Syria really unified its military?end of listThe group’s thousands of fighters controlled large parts of northern Syria.But after the regime of Bashar al-Assad collapsed in December 2024, the army launched an offensive in the region.The SDF lost much of its territory – and agreed to merge with the national armed forces.So, what does the deal between Damascus and the SDF mean for Syria after the fall of al-Assad?Presenter: Frankie McCamleyGuests:Noah Bonsey – Senior adviser at the International Crisis GroupYusuf Alabarda – International security and politics analystKenneth Katzman – Senior fellow at The Soufan Center