ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Army Lt. Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, who was inaugurated as the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) earlier this month, met with Mazloum Abdi, general commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) late Wednesday, pledging to provide more support to the force, according to a statement by the SDF.
The SDF said in the statement on Thursday that Abdi and Kurilla discussed the “seriousness” of the Islamic State (ISIS) threat and its resurgence in northeast Syria (Rojava), adding that the US commander pledged more support in this regard.
“General Kurilla pledged to provide more support to secure the prisons and camps holding ISIS detainees and their families, in addition to the commitment to continue the mission of fighting ISIS by staying in Syria,” the statement read.
“Gen. Kurilla also underscored the importance of maintaining the security and stability of north and eastern Syria to prevent the resurgence of ISIS, eliminate its cells, and dry up its environment,” it added.
Rojava is home to a number of camps for the displaced, including the notorious al-Hol camp which holds around 56,000 people - mostly wives and children of ISIS fighters.
On January 20, ISIS attacked Hasaka prison with explosive-laden vehicles and other weapons. This caused over a week of intense clashes between ISIS fighters and the SDF.
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 the Kurdish ruling and opposition parties.
Abdi said in a tweet on Thursday that he was “honored” to receive the US commander, adding that they both discussed “shared issues, including regional stability & security and joint action against ISIS, extensively and fruitfully. The new leadership affirmed its commitment to protecting security & stability in NE Syria.”
When testifying at a Senate Armed Service Committee hearing for his confirmation to assume the position on February 8, 2022, Kurilla commented on his country’s “Kurdish partners.”
“I have worked with our Kurdish partners and found them to be very reliable and very capable. I have worked with them since 2004 on my first tour in Iraq and as recently as the counter-ISIS fight up to 2014. I have found them to be incredibly capable and reliable partner[s],” he said.
A top US delegation met with the SDF and its political arm, the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), in mid-March. They discussed “regional stability, intra-Kurdish relations, economic conditions, and the ongoing fight against ISIS,” according to a statement by the US State Department.