"We have now had multiple instances of collaboration with the Syrian government to counter very specific ISIS threats, Cooper said. The US general's comments came on the first anniversary of the start of the Syrian transition after the fall of the government of President Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive by opposition fighters. Cooper's statement emphasising security cooperation in Syria underscores the stunning transformation in Damascus, which had close ties to US rivals Russia and Iran for decades under al-Assad's rule."
"The US commander also said the US is helping efforts to integrate the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces with the Syrian government. Backed by the US, the SDF controls large parts of the country's northeast, where it enjoys de facto self-rule. Despite an agreement in March to merge SDF fighters into Syrian state institutions, occasional clashes have broken out between the two sides. SDF's successful integration with the Syrian government forces will lead to a more predictable and stable security environment, Cooper said."
The United States is working with Syrian forces to carry out operations against ISIL and has had multiple instances of collaboration to counter specific ISIS threats. Cooperation has included working with the Syrian Ministry of Interior to locate and destroy 15 ISIS weapon sites in southern Syria. The US is supporting efforts to integrate the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces into Syrian state institutions to create a more predictable, stable security environment, despite occasional clashes after a March agreement. Syria joined the US-led coalition against ISIL following President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Washington, reflecting a political transformation in Damascus despite prior ties to Russia and Iran under al-Assad.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]