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In Joint Raid, Kurdish Forces Seize ISIS Militant in Syria 

Smoke plumes rise from gas flaring at oil wells in the countryside near the town of al-Qahtaniyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province, close to the border with Turkey on December 18, 2022. (AFP)
Smoke plumes rise from gas flaring at oil wells in the countryside near the town of al-Qahtaniyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province, close to the border with Turkey on December 18, 2022. (AFP)
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In Joint Raid, Kurdish Forces Seize ISIS Militant in Syria 

Smoke plumes rise from gas flaring at oil wells in the countryside near the town of al-Qahtaniyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province, close to the border with Turkey on December 18, 2022. (AFP)
Smoke plumes rise from gas flaring at oil wells in the countryside near the town of al-Qahtaniyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province, close to the border with Turkey on December 18, 2022. (AFP)

A Kurdish-led group in Syria said Monday that its fighters alongside US forces have arrested a wanted militant with the ISIS group that continues to stage attacks in the region. 

There are some 900 US troops in Syria supporting Kurdish-led forces in the fight against the militant group. 

The Syrian Democratic Forces said its fighters led a raid on the home of an unnamed ISIS leader on Dec. 16 in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor. The group's statement claimed the arrested man managed militant cells in the region. 

The SDF shared a photo purporting to show evidence they confiscated during the raid, including two cellphones, a dozen SIM cards, an internet router, a Syrian-issued identity document and a pistol with three magazines. 

The SDF added that this was the fifth such raid over the past two weeks. 

They have frequently targeted the militants mostly in parts of northeastern Syria under Kurdish control. On Dec. 11, a US helicopter raid in eastern Syria killed two ISIS militants. 

Syria has been mired in a bloody civil war since 2011 that has drawn in regional and global powers. Syrian President Bashar Assad has mostly regained control of the country, but parts of its north remain under the control of rebels, as well as Turkish and Syrian Kurdish forces. 

Türkiye strongly opposes the presence of the Syrian Kurdish groups along its border that it blames for attacks within its territory. A series of Turkish airstrikes in the area earlier this month temporarily halted US-Kurdish patrols and raised concerns that cross border tensions would hinder the fight against ISIS. 

On Nov. 30, ISIS announced that leader Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was killed in battle. The US said al-Qurayshi was killed in an operation conducted by Syrian opposition forces in the southern city of Daraa. 

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CENTCOM Nominee: US Needs Troops in Syria to Stop ISIS Comeback

US Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper 
US Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper 
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CENTCOM Nominee: US Needs Troops in Syria to Stop ISIS Comeback

US Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper 
US Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper 

ISIS remains a threat in Syria and a US military presence is still needed there to deal with it, US Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper said in his confirmation hearing to become the next head of US Central Command.

The Pentagon has already decided to significantly reduce the number of troops in the country from 2,000 to fewer than 1,000.

But Cooper told the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 24 there is a continued need for at least some presence. And he argued that the complex situation in Syria needs to be weighed before making additional troop cuts.

“Presence is indispensable in the execution of the counter-ISIS mission today,” said Cooper, who currently serves as the deputy commander of CENTCOM, which oversees US forces in the Middle East.

“We have led it. We lead it today, and I anticipate we’ll lead it into the future. Every decision made on force posture is going to be conditions-based as I look to the future,” he added.

When asked by Senator Joni Ernst about the church bombing in Syria few days ago, Cooper said, “We are focused on this problem set every single day. ISIS remains a threat, and as we look to the future, and if confirmed, I will remain nose down on this threat. It is an absolute priority.”

Cooper said the US was right to back Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa and that he was a vital partner in the campaign against ISIS.

“ISIS thrives in chaos,” Cooper said. “If the government of Syria, now seven months into their existence, can help suppress that ISIS threat, along with the US forces in the region, that stability helps create our own security.”

He added, “I think, given the dynamic nature of what’s happening today, that assessment [of required US troops in Syria] in the future could look different than it does today, perhaps.”

Cooper said the US played—and continues to play—a central role in the anti-ISIS campaign.

“The United States has led this mission from the outset. We still lead it today, and I expect that leadership to continue as we move forward, guided by operational realities,” he affirmed.