Top US general visits Syria for first time as chairman of the joint chiefs, meets US forces

United States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Personnel Gen. Mark Milley checked out Syria on Saturday, according to a declaration from his workplace, marking his very first see to the nation as the leading United States general.

Milley met United States soldiers in northeast Syria, who exist as part of the project to beat ISIS, and examined force security steps, his representative Col. Dave Butler stated.

2 weeks prior to Milley’s see, United States and union forces at Green Town in Syria came under rocket attack, according to United States Central Command. 2 rockets landed near the base, CENTCOM stated. No United States or union soldiers were hurt, and there was no damage to the base.

Simply 2 days previously, 4 United States soldiers and one working canine were hurt in a helicopter raid versus a senior ISIS leader in northeast Syria. The raid eliminated Hamza al-Homsi, CENTCOM stated. The soldiers were hurt in an “surge on target,” the command stated, though it was uncertain if it was a suicide vest, grenade or other dynamite that hurt the soldiers.

The United States keeps around 900 soldiers in Syria. While in the nation, Milley likewise evaluated the continuous repatriation efforts from the al-Hol refugee camp, which houses more than 60,000 displaced individuals, consisting of 25,000 kids.

The repatriation efforts have actually been a specific focus of Gen. Erik Kurilla, the leader of United States Central Command, who has actually checked out the camp 3 times because taking control of on April 1, 2022. Kurilla’s newest see remained in mid-November, when he alerted that the kids in the camp are “prime targets for ISIS radicalization.”.

In February, United States forces performed 15 partnered operations with regional forces, consisting of the Kurdish Syrian Defense Forces, in addition to 2 US-only operations, according to CENTCOM. The operations resulted in the deaths of 5 ISIS operatives and the detention of 11 others, the command stated.