CENTCOM and Syrian Military Launch Joint Operation, Destroying 15 ISIS Weapons Sites
US CENTCOM and Syrian military forces conducted a joint operation, destroying 15 ISIS weapons caches in southern Syria. The operation, which included airstrikes, is part of enhanced cooperation since Damascus joined the Global Coalition.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday, that American forces and units from the Syrian Ministry of Interior located and destroyed more than 15 ISIS weapons storage sites in southern Syria during a coordinated operation carried out between November 24 and 27.
According to CENTCOM’s statement, personnel from Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) worked jointly with Syrian forces to identify and eliminate the weapons caches across Rif Damashq province (Damascus province countryside) through a series of airstrikes and controlled ground detonations.
The destroyed facilities contained more than 130 mortars and rockets, multiple assault rifles, machine guns, anti-tank mines, and components used in manufacturing improvised explosive devices. Forces also discovered and destroyed quantities of illicit drugs.
“This successful operation ensures gains made against ISIS are lasting and the group is not able to regenerate or export terrorist attacks to the U.S. homeland and around the world,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said.
He added that U.S. forces “will remain vigilant and continue to aggressively pursue ISIS remnants in Syria.”
Established in 2014, CJTF-OIR continues to advise, assist, and enable partner forces against ISIS, whose territorial defeat in 2019 left its fighters dispersed across isolated pockets in the Syrian desert.
The latest operation comes amid a sweeping shift in Syria’s counterterrorism posture, following Damascus’ accession to the Global Coalition Against ISIS earlier this month — a development that CENTCOM described as a milestone.
On Nov. 13, CENTCOM confirmed that Syria had officially become the 90th member of the Coalition, coinciding with rapid progress in negotiations to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian Army. Between October 1 and November 6 alone, U.S. and Coalition forces, operating alongside Syrian partners, carried out more than 22 counter-ISIS missions, killing five militants and detaining 19 others.
“These are notable achievements,” Cooper said at the time, underscoring that the U.S. intends to “aggressively pursue ISIS remnants in Syria while ensuring that gains made in Iraq and Syria are lasting.”
The transformation in Syria’s role followed Syrian Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the suspension of Caesar Act sanctions and endorsed a trilateral cooperation framework involving Syria, the United States, and Turkey. Shortly after the summit, al-Sharaa announced Syria’s formal entry into the Global Coalition, describing it as a reaffirmation of the state’s commitment to combating terrorism “in partnership with the international community.”
SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi also announced that his forces would expedite their integration into the Syrian military structure, as outlined in the March 10 Agreement. After speaking with U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, Abdi said the SDF intends to accelerate the process, calling Syria’s accession to the Coalition “a pivotal step” toward securing a unified and prosperous future.
Mahmoud Habib, spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Front Forces (SDF), confirmed that negotiations with Damascus have officially resumed and are advancing rapidly. He noted that discussions would start from the point where earlier talks ended, with prior understandings already in place regarding the integration of SDF units as brigades and divisions within the Syrian Ministry of Defense. These forces are also expected to play a nationwide role in counterterrorism operations, especially now that Syria is a full Coalition member.
CENTCOM’s latest reports also highlight progress in stabilizing areas once controlled by ISIS, and a significant reduction in populations at al-Hol and al-Roj displacement camps — from 70,000 in 2019 to fewer than 30,000 today. Cooper said this decline reflects successful repatriation efforts, which he described as “a decisive blow against ISIS’s ability to ever regenerate.”
With Syria’s accession to the Coalition and the SDF’s integration process entering its operational phase, the counterterrorism landscape in Syria is undergoing its most profound transformation in years — anchored in cooperation between U.S. forces, Syrian state institutions, and local partners determined to prevent ISIS from rising again.
