Syrian Kurdish leader dissolves force that spearheaded jihadist fight

The leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the Washington-backed group at the forefront of the battle against the Islamic State jihadist group, announced their dissolution on Tuesday under a deal with the government. After being Syria's most highly-trained and organised paramilitary force for years, Washington promptly dropped the SDF in favour of the new US-friendly authorities in Damascus after the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.