LONDON: Syria’s Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra held talks on Thursday with a US military delegation led by Rear Adm. Liam Hulin to discuss regional developments and coordination between the two countries, the Sana news agency reported.
Hulin, who commands the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve — the US-led task force fighting the terror group Daesh — was supported by several Syrian military officers.
Established in 2014, the task force advises and assists partner forces fighting Daesh. Headquartered in Jordan it supports counterterrorism operations in the Syrian Arab Republic following the withdrawal of US troops.
The last American troops left Syria in April, vacating the Qasrak base in Hasakah and ending a decade-long military presence. Syrian forces took control of the base, which includes an airstrip.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry said at the time that the handover of former US military sites reflected the “successful integration” of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into national structures. The SDF had been Washington’s main partner in Syria in the fight against Daesh.
The handover also marked “the Syrian state’s assumption of full responsibility for combating terrorism and addressing regional threats on its territory,” it said.
The US withdrawal followed the fall of President Bashar Assad in December 2024, when a rebel offensive led by now President Ahmad Al-Sharaa captured Damascus.
