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Mazloum Abdi

Mazloum Abdi

Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces

Appears in 4 stories

Born: March 21, 1967 (age 58 years), Kobani, Syria
Education: University of Aleppo
Nationality: Syrian
Parents: Khazna Hajj Hussein
Full name: Ferhat Abdi Şahin

Notable Quotes

A Syria built without its Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, and other communities—that is not a Syria we can be part of.

The conflict was imposed on the SDF and planned by several parties.

There is no political will on the part of the government to implement a ceasefire.

Stories

US ends eleven-year military presence in Syria

Force in Play

Negotiating SDF integration into Syrian military

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

Syria's ISIS prison dilemma

Force in Play

Negotiating SDF 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

Damascus retakes Syria's oil and water

Force in Play

Faces January 24 deadline to present integration plan; controls only Hasakah province and Kobani pocket

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

Syria's Kurdish question

Force in Play

Rejected al-Sharaa's Deputy Defense Minister offer January 20, demanding full SDF control of Hasakah; talks collapsed; faces four-day ceasefire deadline with Syrian forces positioned outside last stronghold

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