The Press Centre of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that SDF General Commander Mazlum Abdi met today, 16 March, with a delegation that included US Deputy Secretary of State Ethan Goldrich, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran and Iraq Jennifer Gavito, Director for Iraq and Syria at the National Security Council Zahra Bell and US Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Matthew Pearl, ANHA reports.
The US delegation said that cooperation between North and East Syria and the US-led International Coalition is continuing. The delegation shared their views on the fight against ISIS following the events at Sina’a Prison in Hasakah last January.
The delegation also thanked the SDF for their work and sacrifice in regaining control of the prison and stopping ISIS’s plans.
Sina’a Prison, which houses thousands of suspected ISIS fighters, was attacked by hundreds of ISIS members on 20 January at the same time as three explosive-laden vehicles were detonated at three target points. The SDF regained control of the prison after clashes that continued for days on end.
According to the official account of the SDF, both parties agree that ISIS still poses a danger to the region. They emphasised that cooperation in various fields need to be strengthened to ensure the security of the region.
The SDF Press Centre said that the US delegation had also stressed the importance of the ongoing dialogue between the Kurdish parties in Syria.