Washington, Dec 11 (NationPress) The leading commander of the US military in the Middle East conducted a visit to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria to gain insights into the ongoing initiatives to thwart the comeback of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), as stated by the US military.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on X that General Erik Kurilla, the CENTCOM commander, "met with US military commanders and servicemembers, alongside our Defeat-ISIS allies, the Syrian Democratic Forces, at multiple bases in Syria."

"He obtained a direct evaluation of force protection strategies, the swiftly changing landscape, and continuous efforts to prevent ISIS from taking advantage of the current circumstances," CENTCOM elaborated.

The US has maintained a longstanding partnership with the SDF in the battle against ISIS. The SDF operates independently from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the predominant rebel faction that ousted the government of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.

Following his visit, Kurilla traveled to Baghdad, where he conferred with the Iraqi Prime Minister and military officials, in addition to the US commander of the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, to assess the D-ISIS operations within Iraq and Syria," CENTCOM stated.