Former SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi Appointed as Adviser to Syrian President

Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara has issued a decree appointing Mazloum Abdi, the former head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a presidential adviser. The appointment follows the recent dissolution of the SDF and the integration of tens of thousands of its fighters into Syrian state institutions. The US-backed group had previously led the campaign against ISIS. Other senior Kurdish figures have also taken state roles, including Sipan Hamo, former commander of the People's Protection Units (YPG), who was named Deputy Defence Minister earlier this year, and Ilham Ahmed, who is reportedly set to join parliament. These developments follow a January agreement between the group and President Al Shara, mediated by the US and France with Turkish endorsement. As part of the deal, the Syrian government has formally recognised Kurdish as a national language, granted citizenship to previously stateless Kurds, and mandated Kurdish language instruction in schools within Kurdish-majority areas. Meanwhile, Syrian state media reported that an explosion involving a hand grenade near the Palace of Justice in the north-eastern city of Hassakeh resulted in the deaths of two people, a man in his 30s and a 13-year-old boy.