Commander of Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Visits Al-Tanf Base After Drones’ Attack

Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, commander of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, meets with leaders from a Syrian opposition faction in the Al-Tanf base. (Free Syrian Army)
Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, commander of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, meets with leaders from a Syrian opposition faction in the Al-Tanf base. (Free Syrian Army)
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Commander of Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Visits Al-Tanf Base After Drones’ Attack

Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, commander of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, meets with leaders from a Syrian opposition faction in the Al-Tanf base. (Free Syrian Army)
Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, commander of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, meets with leaders from a Syrian opposition faction in the Al-Tanf base. (Free Syrian Army)

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) revealed that an official from the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS held talks with leaders from the FSA on military coordination between both sides.

This comes days after a drones-attack that targeted the Al-Tanf base.

The talks held by Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, commander of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, reflects “joint efforts to secure a lasting defeat of ISIS and to work towards a better future for the region,” according to a statement issued by the Free Syrian Army.

“The meeting discussed joint cooperation and coordination in military affairs, particularly in training and arming,” added the statement.

Three one-way attack drones targeted the Al-Tanf military base in southeastern Syria, according to a statement issued on January 20 by the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

CENTCOM noted that two of the drones were shot down by Coalition Forces while one struck the compound, injuring two members of an opposition Syrian faction.

The US forces did not accuse any party of the attack, AFP reported.

“Attacks of this kind are unacceptable – they place our troops and our partners at risk,” said Joe Buccino, CENTCOM spokesperson.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) suggested that the drones belonged to pro-Iranian groups, explaining that the two injured belonged to the Free Syrian Army which is a US-backed opposition faction active in the Al-Tanf area.

The international coalition forces brought a new convoy to the northeast of Syria, coming from Kurdistan-Iraq region through “Al-Waled” border crossing in Al-Hasakah countryside.

The convoy comprises 40 trucks carrying closed wooden boxes, logistic equipment, and fuel tanks, and headed towards the coalition bases in Al-Hasakah, according to SOHR.

The Observatory added that on January 15, the international coalition forces brought in new military reinforcements, including armored vehicles and fuel tankers, via the Al-Walid border crossing towards its military base in Al-Shaddadi town.



Aoun Vows to Tackle All Pending Issues between Lebanon and Syria

 10 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun waits to receive his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides at Baabda presidential palace. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
10 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun waits to receive his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides at Baabda presidential palace. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Aoun Vows to Tackle All Pending Issues between Lebanon and Syria

 10 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun waits to receive his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides at Baabda presidential palace. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
10 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun waits to receive his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides at Baabda presidential palace. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed on Sunday the importance of cooperation to address all pending issues between Lebanon and Syria.

He received a telephone call from head of Syria’s new authorities Ahmed al-Sharaa, who congratulated him on his election as president on Thursday.

Aoun underscored the “fraternal relations that bind the Syrian and Lebanese people.”

The officials also stressed the importance of building and developing positive relations between their countries.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati had visited Damascus on Saturday for talks with al-Sharaa.

The leaders stressed their keenness on building long-term strategic relations based on mutual respect and national sovereignty after decades of strained ties.

The trip was the first by a head of government to Syria since Bashar al-Assad was toppled by a sweeping opposition offensive on Dec. 8, and the first visit by a Lebanese premier to neighboring Syria in 15 years. Ties between Damascus and Beirut have often been fraught since they became independent states in the 1940s.