US Stresses Continued Support for Kurdish SDF

The SDF delegation at the White House. (Syrian Democratic Forces official website)
The SDF delegation at the White House. (Syrian Democratic Forces official website)
TT

US Stresses Continued Support for Kurdish SDF

The SDF delegation at the White House. (Syrian Democratic Forces official website)
The SDF delegation at the White House. (Syrian Democratic Forces official website)

US President Joe Biden’s administration is committed to its partnership with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), officials told a Kurdish delegation visiting Washington.

The US is keen to support regional stability and its forces will remain in the region until the total elimination of ISIS and its remnants, the White House officials added.

The SDF delegation met with high-ranking representatives of the US administration in the White House, a statement read.

The US officials expressed support for the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) and SDF in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria’s areas, where the SDF represents a broad political alliance at the Syrian level, the statement added.

They hailed the SDF’s counterterrorism efforts and discussed means of reaching a political solution to the more than decade long crisis in Syria.

The delegation met with prominent members of the US Congress, such as congressman Brad Schneider, who is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and House Committee on Foreign Affairs, as well as the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and Global Counterterrorism.

Meanwhile, the General Secretariat of the Kurdish National Council said the peaceful protests that were organized on Friday in Qamishli, in the far northeast of Syria, were attacked by the Autonomous Administration’s internal security forces.

It issued a statement denouncing the practices that limit people’s freedoms and prevent them from expressing their opinions on matters related to their livelihood.

The opposition alliance, which includes Kurdish parties, political entities and civil and social figures, accused the Autonomous Administration of forcibly dispersing protesters, arresting one of them and beating civilians who refused to end the rally.

The Kurdish Council had called on its supporters and residents in northeastern Syria to demonstrate peacefully against the Autonomous Administration’s recent decision to raise the prices of basic commodities.



Iran Strengthens its Militias in Syria

 A man rides a motorbike past damaged buildings in Homs, Syria November 7, 2024. (Reuters)
A man rides a motorbike past damaged buildings in Homs, Syria November 7, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Iran Strengthens its Militias in Syria

 A man rides a motorbike past damaged buildings in Homs, Syria November 7, 2024. (Reuters)
A man rides a motorbike past damaged buildings in Homs, Syria November 7, 2024. (Reuters)

Iran has increased its diplomatic and military efforts in Syria in response to Israeli escalation and threats to cut off the Tehran-Damascus corridor.

This includes strengthening Iranian-backed militias, which have stepped up attacks on US-led coalition bases and the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

These groups are also fighting ISIS in the Syrian desert.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday that Iran-backed groups launched 89 attacks on US bases in Syria in 2024, using drones and rockets from both Syria and Iraq.

In turn, US forces have upgraded their base defenses, including air defense systems, to intercept drones before they reach their targets.

At the same time, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is expanding its training camps for militias, especially the Iraqi Harakat al-Nujaba, in Syria’s southeastern Homs desert.

Reinforcements from the Zainabiyoun and Fatemiyoun brigades, totaling about 225 fighters, recently arrived in the eastern Deir Ezzor province through the al-Hari border crossing. The fighters are stationed in Al-Boukamal and Mayadeen under IRGC command.

Local sources said Iran is working to strengthen its military presence in the region.

On Monday evening, ISIS launched an attack on Iranian-backed militias in the desert near Tadmur, east of Homs.

Syria's Al-Watan newspaper reported that on Monday, government forces and allied troops fought fierce battles with ISIS cells in the eastern Homs desert.

A military source said the clashes killed several ISIS fighters and destroyed their vehicles, which were armed with heavy machine guns.

The militants had attempted to cross from areas controlled by US forces in the 55-kilometer zone to target military positions near the town of al-Taybah in eastern Homs.