Kurdish institutions in northeast Syria fully integrated into state structures, SDF commander says

QAMISHLI, Syria — The Syrian Democratic Forces commander Mazloum Abdi said Thursday that the integration of Kurdish civilian and military institutions in northeastern Syria into the country's state bodies has been completed. Speaking at a ceremony marking the centenary of the city of Qamishli, Abdi said the merging of military, security and administrative institutions with national state structures had reached its final stage. Abdi recalled that Kurdish groups had built a self-administration in the region after the conflict in Syria began in 2011, encompassing organized civilian and military institutions, and that the Kurds had played a leading role in the fight against ISIS. He said a new period was now beginning. The Syrian government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa and the SDF had reached an agreement on January 29 to complete the integration of civilian and military institutions in the northeast into the Syrian state. The deal covered forces, security units, the administration of areas and arrangements related to resources.