The Defense Department’s mission to defeat ISIS remains ongoing in Syria, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said today.
She said the U.S. Central Command will continue to work to prevent the militant group from reestablishing a foothold in the country following the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime over the weekend.
“Centcom, together with allies and partners in the region, will continue to carry out operations to degrade ISIS capabilities, even during this dynamic period in Syria,” Singh said.
On Saturday, U.S. forces conducted precision airstrikes in central Syria against known ISIS camps and operatives. As part of the operation, U.S. Air Force fighter and bomber aircraft struck more than 75 targets.
“There should be no doubt — we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria,” Centcom Commander Army Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement following the strikes. “All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way.”
Singh emphasized that the U.S. mission in Syria is “to counter ISIS and to support our local partners on the ground, the Syrian Democratic Forces, to ensure that ISIS can never reestablish a safe haven there.”
The rapid overthrow of the Assad regime at the hands of Syrian rebel forces on Saturday introduces “historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria” while at the same time introducing a “moment of risk and uncertainty” for the region, Singh said.
“The Assad regime brutalized, tortured and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians and now, at long last, the Assad regime has fallen,” she said. “That is a fundamental act of justice.”
She said the U.S. “will continue to work with our partners and with our stakeholders in Syria to help them seize the opportunity and to manage the risk.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler on Saturday to discuss the developments in Syria.
During the call, Austin emphasized that the U.S. is watching closely the various Syrian opposition groups’ statements and actions in the wake of Assad’s overthrow.
Both leaders agreed that the opposition groups must take steps to protect civilians, including ethnic and religious minorities, and follow international humanitarian norms, according to a summary of the discussion provided by Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
“Secretary Austin and Minister Guler both reaffirmed the importance of close coordination between the United States and Turkey to prevent further escalation of an already volatile situation, as well as to avoid any risk to U.S. forces and partners, and the Defeat-ISIS Mission,” the summary reads.
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