ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Mazloum Abdi, General Commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), received a senior US delegation, discussing latest developments, including the Islamic State (ISIS) threat, the SDF said in a statement on Wednesday.
The US State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Levant Ethan Goldrich, and for Iraq, Jennifer Gavito, and National Security Council Director for Syria Zehra Bell met with the SDF and its political arm, the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), according to a statement issued by the department on Monday without specifying the location and time of the meeting.
The SDF said in their Wednesday statement that the delegation also met with Abdi without specifying the location and time of the meeting.
"The meeting stressed the partnership between north and eastern Syria and the U.S.-led international coalition would continue. There were exchanged views on the latest developments regarding the campaign against the terrorist organization ISIS, especially after the attack on the al-Sina’a prison in al-Hasaka," the statement read.
The January 20 prison break by the ISIS in Hasaka alarmed the international community to the threat ISIS continues to pose in the region. Following the incident, the SDF called again for the acceleration of repatriations.
"The delegation also highlighted the importance of continuing dialogue between Kurdish parties in Syria," added the SDF statement.
The US delegation discussed almost the same topics with the SDF and SDC.
Syrian Kurds have been Washington’s main allies on the ground in the fight against ISIS since the group controlled swathes of land in Syria and Iraq in 2014. The US has provided ammunition and military support to the SDF as well as mediating between Kurdish ruling and opposition parties.
