QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Following Turkish escalation against north and northeast Syria in which vital infrastructure was targeted, the US-led Global Coalition has increased its maneuvers and moves in the region. It also supported its partner in a security operation against the Islamic State (ISIS).
The Global Coalition has increased military support to its bases in the countryside of Hasakah as well partnered operation with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against ISIS.
Prior to that, the Coalition returned to the city of Raqqa following three years after its forces left the area and a visit was paid by the US Senior Representative to Northeast Syria Nicolas Granger to the region in October 2022.
Unconfirmed reports say the Global Coalition intends to create a military base in the city of Raqqa.
Over the past two months, the Coalition conducted military maneuvers in which anti-aircraft weapons and AC-130J Ghostriders were used.
On November 25, the Global Coalition sent reinforcements to its military base in the town of al-Shaddadi in southern Hasakah including 20 trucks loaded with military and logistical equipment and diesel tankers among others.
On December 11, the US Central Command said a helicopter carried out a successful raid in east Syria in which two ISIS officials were killed one of them called Anas. No further details were revealed.
The Central Command (CENTCOM) said on December 17 it had carried out six partnered operations with the SDF since December 8.
CENTCOM said the operations resulted in capturing five ISIS operatives involved in planning attacks against detention centers that hold ISIS militants and the Hawl Camp.
On December 20, Commander in Chief of the SDF Mazloum Abdi received US Commander of Combined Joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) Matthew W. McFarlane, and Head of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Bafel Talabani in Hasakah city, northeast Syria.
On the very same day, the Central Command said in a press release they carried out three airdrop operations in east Syria which resulted in capturing six ISIS militants including a high-level leader called al-Zubaydi.
According to the statement, al-Zubaydi was involved in planning and facilitating operations of the group in Syria.
Efforts of the Global Coalition and the SDF proceeded in Operation “al-Jazeera Thunderbolt” against ISIS sleeper cells and militants in Hasakah, Qamishli, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor and the desert area between Syria and Iraq.
The operation, which started on December 26 and lasted for 10 days, resulted in detaining 154 ISIS militants and seizing large quantities of arms and ammunition. The Global Coalition hailed the efforts exerted by SDF.
Observers say such moves by the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in northeast Syria comes as a gesture to calm down the SDF amid Turkish threats.
However, others believe these moves are an implied message to Turkey’s intransigence owing to an international rejection to its threats against the region. This comes amid an uptick in ISIS operations in the region and the recent rapprochement bids between Damascus and Ankara in Moscow at the end of December 2022.
On January 4, US State Department said “now is not the time to normalize relations” with Syria.
“Our policy … has not changed. We do not support countries upgrading their relations or expressing support to rehabilitate the brutal dictator, Bashar Al-Assad,” said US State Department spokesman, Ned Price, at a press conference.
“We urge states to carefully consider the al-Assad regime’s atrocious human rights record of the past 12 years as it continues to inflict atrocities on the Syrian people and to deny access to life-saving humanitarian aid,” he added.