CENTCOM chief visits Iraq, Syria

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Michael "Erik" Kurilla on Tuesday met with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria (Rojava) and Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. 

“Kurilla visited U.S. military commanders and servicemembers, as well as our Defeat-ISIS partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, at several bases in Syria,” read a statement from CENTCOM, which oversees US troops in the Middle East.

It added that Kurilla “received a firsthand assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS [Islamic State] from exploiting the current situation.”

The visit to the US-led SDF comes at a time when the force is facing significant threats from Ankara-backed Syrian opposition militia groups, which have seized control of two SDF-held cities in recent days. This development unfolds as Syria undergoes historic changes following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad.

The United States army announced on Sunday that it carried out airstrikes against 75 ISIS camps in Syria, to prevent the group from taking “advantage” of the recent developments in the country.

Syria’s civil war dramatically reignited late last month when a coalition of rebels led by the jihadist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a blistering offensive against the Syrian army, seizing the northern city of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and culminating their victory by capturing the capital Damascus as rebels said Bashar al-Assad fled the country, ending over five decades of Baathist rule. 

ISIS cells have taken advantage of the chaos in Syria since the start of the escalations and carried out hit-and-run attacks on the SDF in the Syrian desert, gaining territories. 

Kurilla also met with Sudani, who is also the commander-in-chief of Iraqi armed forces, where they discussed “strengthening bilateral cooperation and regional security, the rapidly changing situation in Syria, as well as the defeat-ISIS operations in Iraq,” according to the CENTCOM statement. 

A statement from Sudani’s office said that they addressed cooperation and coordination between Iraq and the global coalition against ISIS in combating terrorism and countering extremism. 

“The Prime Minister affirmed Iraq’s essential membership in the coalition and its commitment to collaborating in tracking and combating terrorist groups to ensure security and stability in the region. In turn, General Kurilla reiterated the coalition’s commitment to supporting Iraq in safeguarding its security and sovereignty against any terrorist threats,” it read. 

“We remain dedicated to the enduring defeat of ISIS and committed to the security of our partners that neighbor Syria - including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel," the CENTCOM cited its commander as saying.