
Murhaf Abu Qasra: The Syrian Democratic Forces Are Stalling on Integration Efforts
ARK News.. The Defense Minister of the New Syrian Administration stated that it would be inappropriate for the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), stationed in the northeast of the country, to remain a distinct military bloc within the Syrian Armed Forces.
In an interview with Reuters at the Ministry of Defense in Damascus on Sunday, January 19, 2025, Murhaf Abu Qasra criticized the Kurdish-led armed group's leadership, accusing them of stalling on the integration process.
Abu Qasra, who assumed office on December 21, 2025, said:
"As far as the Syrian Democratic Forces becoming part of the Ministry of Defense, this position is untenable. We propose their inclusion under the Ministry of Defense’s structure, with their distribution carried out in a military framework. There's no objection to this. However, remaining a distinct military bloc within the Ministry of Defense is incompatible with the framework of a large institution."
In a related interview with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Sharq News Channel last week, SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi emphasized one of their primary demands: decentralized administration. He expressed openness to linking the SDF to the Syrian Ministry of Defense “as an existing military bloc that operates according to the laws and regulations set by the Ministry of Defense,” but rejected the idea of the SDF integrating into the Syrian army as individual soldiers.
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