By Noureddine Omar | 2025-12-20

Military cooperation between the United States and Syrian forces is essential to clearing Syrian territory of "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) elements, experts say.

Improved security following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime is expected to benefit both the Syrian state and its citizens, they said. The United States is working closely with Syrian forces on operations targeting ISIS, US Central Command chief Gen. Brad Cooper said on December 10, the first anniversary of Assad’s fall.

"We have now had multiple instances of collaboration with the Syrian government to counter very specific ISIS threats," Cooper said.

Shrinking of ISIS-controlled areas

The US is committed to ridding the Middle East of terrorist elements, including groups located in Syria, military expert Yahya Mohammed Ali told Al-Fassel.

A result of this development, he said, is that "Syrian forces will work alongside US military units to encircle ISIS and other terrorist cells."

"Due to Syria's geography, cooperation is essential, as US intelligence capabilities facilitate swift action by detecting terrorist hideouts and movements," Ali said.

"From a military perspective, full US-Syrian cooperation acts as a cleansing operation for Syrian territory, which will subsequently lead to a reduction in the areas occupied by terrorist elements," he added.

"By ensuring coordinated and precisely focused efforts, forces will be able to discover hideouts and dens, confiscate weapons and ammunition, and ultimately cripple ISIS's capabilities," he said.

A stable environment

"The US-Syrian military cooperation is expected to deliver a positive impact on the Syrian state and citizens by restoring the security and stability that has been lacking for decades," Syrian journalist Mohammed Al-Abdullah said.

After the fall of the Assad regime and the rise of Ahmed al-Sharaa's new Syrian administration, citizens are anticipating "a more stable and secure environment," he said.

"The new environment is expected to spur investment flows and economic revitalization, leading directly to an improvement in the Syrian citizen's purchasing power," he added.

"Since the United States is the international spearhead against terrorism, cooperation will enhance the Syrian state's reputation, transforming it from a dangerous area into a safe country," al-Abdullah added.

He said that this cooperation will restore the Syrian government "to the ranks of governments truly capable of representing their people and territory."