Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)

Force in Play

Integrating into Syrian national army

The United States began bombing ISIS targets in Syria in September 2014. Eleven years later, Washington announced it will withdraw all remaining troops within two months—ending a ground presence that once numbered over 2,000 soldiers. The withdrawal follows a series of changes: Assad's fall in December 2024, the rise of an HTS-led government, and an agreement integrating American Kurdish allies into Syria's national army.

Updated May 29

Force in Play

Negotiating integration into Syrian state

The SDF has guarded roughly 9,000 ISIS fighters and 38,000 of their family members since the caliphate collapsed in 2019. On January 20, 2026, when Syrian government forces took control of Al-Shaddadi prison, a gap in the handover let between 120 and 200 detainees escape; most were quickly recaptured. The incident exposed how fragile the world's largest ISIS detention system is, prompting the U.S. to transfer detainees to Iraq on January 21, starting with 150 in a mission that could relocate up to 7,000.

Updated May 22

Force in Play

Reduced to Hasakah province and Kobani pocket; faces January 24 deadline to finalize integration mechanism

Syria's 13-month standoff over Kurdish autonomy ended on January 18, 2026, when Damascus and the SDF signed a 14-point agreement dissolving the Kurdish autonomous administration. The agreement came after Syrian forces captured the al-Omar oilfield, Tabqa dam, and Raqqa city in a lightning offensive, forcing the SDF to withdraw east of the Euphrates and hand over all three northeastern provinces.

Updated May 22

Force in Play

Rejected Damascus subordination demand; controls only Hasakah and Qamishli cities; withdrew guards from al-Hol camp; 4-day ceasefire through Jan 24 before potential Damascus assault

The five-hour meeting collapsed on January 20. Syrian President al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi met in Damascus for the highest-level direct talks since the January 18 ceasefire.

Updated May 20

Force in Play

U.S. partner force controlling northeast Syria, guarding ISIS prisons

A lone ISIS gunman killed two Iowa National Guardsmen and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra, Syria, on December 13, 2025—the first American combat deaths since Bashar al-Assad fled the country a year earlier. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded with Operation Hawkeye Strike.

Updated May 16