Top US commander in Mideast meets Syrian Democratic Forces in Syria

WASHINGTON -- The top commander of the US military in the Middle East visited the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria on Tuesday to be briefed on ongoing efforts to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the US military said.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X that General Erik Kurilla, the CENTCOM commander, "visited US military commanders and servicemembers, as well as our Defeat-ISIS partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, at several bases in Syria."

"He received a firsthand assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from exploiting the current situation," CENTCOM said.

The United States has long partnered with the SDF in the fight to defeat ISIS. The SDF is separate from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main rebel group that toppled the government of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Later, Kurilla visited Baghdad, where he met with the Iraqi prime minister and military leaders, along with the US commander of the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve "for an assessment of the D-ISIS mission inside Iraq and Syria," CENTCOM said.