SYRIAN Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi said on Saturday there can be no political solution without the US in Syria, hinting at a deepening rift in the Kurdish movement.

In an interview with the Associated Press the military leader, who is believed to live in a US base for his own protection, reiterated calls for US occupying troops to remain in the north-east of Syria.

“We believe that there will be no political solution in Syria without the US,” he said. “To reach a political solution the US needs to stay and they need to play a role in this issue.”