Syrian leader to hold talks with Trump during visit

WASHINGTON — Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in the United States on Saturday for a landmark official visit, his country's state news agency reported, a day after Washington removed him from a terrorism blacklist.

Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted former president Bashar al-Assad late last year, is due to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

It is the first such visit by a Syrian leader since the country's independence in 1946, according to analysts.

Sharaa met Trump for the first time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during Trump's regional tour in May.

US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said earlier this month that Sharaa would "hopefully" sign an agreement to join the international US-led alliance against the Islamic State group.

The US plans to establish a military base near Damascus "to coordinate humanitarian aid and observe developments between Syria and Israel", a diplomatic source in Syria told Agence France-Presse.

The US State Department's decision on Friday to remove Sharaa from the blacklist was widely expected.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Sharaa's government had been meeting US demands, including on working to find missing US citizens and on eliminating any remaining chemical weapons.

"These actions are being taken in recognition of the progress demonstrated by the Syrian leadership after the departure of Bashar al-Assad," Pigott said.

The Syrian interior ministry announced on Saturday that it had carried out 61 raids and made 71 arrests in a "proactive campaign to neutralize the threat" of Islamic State, according to the official SANA news agency.

Sanctions removed

Meanwhile, the US and the United Kingdom removed sanctions on Sharaa on Friday, a day after the United Nations Security Council did the same, with the European Union confirming it would follow suit.

Washington and London also lifted sanctions on Syria's interim interior minister Anas Khattab, according to notices on their websites.

A European Union spokesperson said on Friday the UN decision would be reflected in EU measures.

"We remain committed to supporting a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transition to help build a better future for all Syrians," a European Commission spokesperson said.

Agencies via Xinhua