The top commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has declared that his fighters will not surrender their weapons or dissolve their ranks but are willing to negotiate their integration into Syria’s future military structure.
In an interview with Al Arabiya on Saturday, Mazloum Abdi warned that any approach other than a joint agreement would \”lead to major problems.\”
\”We haven’t decided to give up our arms or disband,\” Abdi said, noting that the SDF is open to talks about forming \”a single national army.\”
He added that the SDF proposed creating a joint military committee to study the issue and emphasized his opposition to \”two separate armies in Syria.\”
Abdi remarked that SDF representatives were not invited to discussions led by Syria’s government officials regarding integrating various factions into the country’s defense ministry. \”The outcome of those meetings does not concern us because we were not part of them,\” he stated, underscoring that the SDF’s relationship with Damascus \”depends on actions, not words.\”
Refuting rumors that Iran has supplied the SDF with weaponry, Abdi dismissed the need for Iranian arms, including drones, and underlined that U.S. forces remain important mediators. \”We value the presence of American troops in Syria to help narrow differences in viewpoints,\” he said.
The SDF, bolstered by U.S. support and dominated by Kurdish units, controls extensive areas in northern and eastern Syria.
No immediate comment was available from Syrian authorities regarding Abdi’s statements, though officials have previously expressed a desire to incorporate all factions into a unified national force.
Reference(s):
Kurdish-led militia rejects disarmament, calls for integration
cgtn.com
