All you need to know about Syria’s main Kurdish-led force and its deal with Damascus

Kurds constituted approximately 10 per cent of Syria’s 23 million population before the civil war began in 2011 - (AFP via Getty Images)

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), once a crucial US-backed alliance and the most effective force against the Islamic State group in Syria, are reportedly poised to merge into the Syrian army.

This significant shift follows a series of major setbacks for the Kurdish-led group in recent weeks.