Click to see full-size image. (Syrian Ministry of Interior)
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces and the Syrian Ministry of Interior located and destroyed more than 15 sites containing ISIS weapons caches in southern Syria between November 24 and 27, in the first such joint operation.
In a statement released on November 30, the command said that forces from the anti-ISIS coalition worked with Syrian forces in identifying and eliminating the terrorist group’s weapons storage facilities across the Rif Damashq governorate during multiple airstrikes and ground detonations.
Over 130 mortars and rockets, multiple assault rifles, machine guns, anti-tank mines, and materials for building improvised explosive devices were destroyed during the operation, according to the command, which noted that illicit drugs were also found and destroyed.
“This successful operation ensures gains made against ISIS are lasting and the group is not able to regenerate or export terrorist attacks to the U.S. homeland and around the world,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.
“We will remain vigilant and continue to aggressively pursue ISIS remnants in Syria,” he added.
This was the first such operation since Syria officially joined the US-led coalition last month. The accession to the coalition came after a landmark meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander who until recently was sanctioned by the United Nations, at the White House.
The Syrian Ministry of Interior carried out a series of operations targeting ISIS cells in the days before the talks in Washington.
During the meeting, the U.S. Treasury Department announced a 180-day extension of its suspension of enforcement of the so-called Caesar sanctions.
One of Sharaa’s main aims in joining the coalition is to push for full removal of the toughest U.S. sanctions against Syria, which can be only done with the approval of the U.S. Congress.
A day after CENTCOM’s announcement, the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced that it had neutralized two cells of ISIS in the northern governorate of Idlib.
“The operation led to the seizure of personal weapons and ammunition, explosive belts and explosive devices, it also revealed the involvement of some members of this cell in the murder of a civilian who was buried near the town of Ma’arrat Misrin. During the operation, two elements were neutralized after they refused to surrender themselves to the security forces, while the rest of the cell members were arrested,” chief of internal security in Idlib, Brig. Gen. Ghassan Bakir, said in a statement carried out by the state run Syrian Arab News Agency.
Click to see full-size image. (Syrian Ministry of Interior)
Click to see full-size image. (Syrian Ministry of Interior)
Click to see full-size image. (Syrian Ministry of Interior)
Click to see full-size image. (Syrian Ministry of Interior)
Since rising to power in Syria after overthrowing the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa has used the issue of ISIS as a base to build relations with the West, especially in the U.S., pleading to join the fight against terrorist groups.
The reality of the situation in the country is, however, more complex. Sharaa has already integrated thousands of Syrian and foreign Jihadists, most with known links to ISIS and al-Qaeda, into the new Syrian military and security forces.
In February, a senior commander of al-Qaeda’s Hurras al-Din, Wasim Tahsin Bayraqdar, was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Idlib. It quickly emerged later that he was the brother of the director of the Awqaf [religious endowments] in the Syrian capital, Damascus, who is close to Sharaa’s inner circle.
More recently in October, Ahmed Abdullah Al-Masoud al-Badri, a former member of ISIS who is related to senior commanders of the terrorist group, was mortally wounded during a raid by U.S. special forces close to Damascus. Following his death, it was revealed that he worked with the government, and was possibly a commander in security forces.
Despite these issues, the U.S. appears to be willing to invest in the emerging security alliance with Syria. Recent reports even indicate that CENTCOM is planning to take over an air base located a few kilometers away from the People’s Palace in Damascus. Notably, a rocket attack believed to have been orchestrated by ISIS hit an area to close that base in mid-November.
Washington clearly sees much benefit in collaborating with Sharaa, but the risks could outweigh these benefits in the near future.
Growing tensions between Syria and Israel, who have reportedly failed to reach a security agreement, could eventually lead to a fallout between Sharaa and Washington. That’s not to mention the escalation by Damascus against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which remain the main partner of CENTCOM in the north and east of the country.
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american military personnel collaborating with terrorists scum, smh. 🤦 freaking pathetic.
us announcements simply just theater for media release. mentally abusing the american population by continuous rapid fire distraction. there is no respect for innocent minds. the empire of lies cares nothing for the population