Syria has officially joined the US-led international coalition to fight the Islamic State group, marking a significant shift in regional security dynamics. The announcement came during a coalition meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, attended by representatives from Syria for the first time since the country's president visited Washington in November.
US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack described the development as "a new chapter in collective security" in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The coalition's priorities now include the swift transfer of approximately 9,000 IS detainees from northeastern Syria to secure facilities in Iraq, as well as the repatriation of families linked to IS held in the al-Hol and Roj camps.
The US State Department welcomed a recent ceasefire between Syrian government forces and the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which played a key role in defeating IS in Syria. As part of a deal reached last month, the SDF will merge into the national army, and government forces have begun taking over key infrastructure including the Qamishli airport, oil fields, and border crossings.
The al-Hol and Roj camps house more than 25,000 people, mostly women and children associated with IS fighters, the majority from Syria and Iraq. Coalition members have urged countries other than Syria and Iraq to repatriate their citizens from these camps. The US military began transferring IS detainees to Iraq last month following clashes between government forces and the SDF.
Coalition officials commended Iraq's efforts to securely detain IS fighters and welcomed Syria's assumption of responsibility for detention facilities and displacement camps. The State Department said members are "ready to work closely with the Syrian government" and encouraged direct support for Syrian and Iraqi efforts to stabilise the region.
In the coming weeks, Syria's central authorities are expected to take control of border crossings with Iraq and Turkey, further consolidating state sovereignty after years of conflict. The coalition meeting in Riyadh underscored a renewed focus on regional cooperation to ensure the lasting defeat of IS.
