Syria Kurdish women fighters discuss merger with interior ministry
The Syrian Kurdish Women's Protection Units (YPJ) are in talks to integrate their fighters into the Syrian interior ministry following the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces. This move marks a significant shift in the post-civil war landscape for Kurdish forces.
Why it matters
The integration signals the formal end of the SDF's independent military role and the consolidation of state control in Syria after years of conflict.
The Syrian Kurdish Women's Protection Units (YPJ) said on Thursday (August 27, 2026) it had discussed with the interior ministry integrating their fighters into the government's forces.
The announcement came two days after the head of Kurdish fighters in Syria, Mazloum Abdi, announced the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — which includes the YPJ — under an agreement with Damascus.
The YPJ said in a statement that its leadership met on Wednesday with a delegation from the interior ministry, during which "the possibility of integrating the Women's Protection Units, as a special and organised force, into the structure of the interior ministry, was confirmed".
It said meetings would continue "in order to complete and finalise the integration process" as part of the agreement signed between Abdi and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in January.
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