Key Takeaways
- The US military in Syria aims to defeat the Islamic State terrorist group, with operations focused on destroying remaining cells.
- The Islamic State terrorist group was declared defeated in late 2017, but Damascus continues to raid and wipe out remaining cells.
- Mohammed al-Bashir was named interim prime minister in Syria, leading an Idlib-based administration formed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other opposition groups.
Washington: The main goal of the US military contingent in Syria is to continue to destroy the remnants of the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, or ISIS, banned in Russia) in the country, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
“As it relates to US force presence in Syria, it is focused on the defeat ISIS mission and so that continues to be our focus,” Ryder told a briefing on Tuesday.
The armed conflict in Syria, which started in 2011, saw the government of President Bashar Assad clash with various armed groups, including terrorists. 2017 marked the year the Islamic State terrorist group was declared defeated, with Damascus continuing to raid and wipe out remaining cells in the country’s northwest.
Syria’s armed opposition captured Damascus on December 8. Russian officials have said that Assad stepped down as president after negotiations with participants in the Syrian conflict and left Syria for Russia, where he was granted asylum.
Mohammed al-Bashir, who ran an Idlib-based administration formed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other opposition groups, was named interim prime minister. He later announced that an interim government had been formed and would remain in place until March 2025.
