Pentagon allocates $130 M to Syrian SDF, SFA in ongoing anti-ISIS fight
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – The U.S. Department of Defense submitted on its proposed 2026 budget to Congress, which includes $130 million in funding to support the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Free Army (SFA) under the Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund (CTEF), according to a statement released on Saturday.
The funding reaffirms Washington’s continued commitment to supporting these partner forces, which operate primarily in northeastern and southeastern Syria, as well as near the tri-border area where Syria, Jordan, and Iraq intersect.
The primary goal of this support remains the containment and defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS), and the prevention of its resurgence.
According to the Pentagon’s statement, the allocated funds will be used to train and equip both the SDF and SFA, strengthen the security of ISIS detention centers, and improve the conditions in which ISIS detainees are held.
The budget also aims to expand counter-ISIS operations in northeastern and southeastern Syria, enhance security in and around Hawl Camp and Syria’s central desert region, and bolster the protection of al-Tanf base, which hosts U.S. and Global Coalition forces.
The Pentagon noted that although repatriation of foreign ISIS militants to their countries of origin remains the most sustainable long-term solution, ongoing CTEF support—including the recruitment of additional guards and improvements to detention infrastructure—helps mitigate the risk of escapes and potential reorganization of ISIS elements within facilities managed by the SDF.