📍 Breaking News: This article covers the latest developments. Stay informed with comprehensive coverage.
QAMISHLO, syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria (North Press) – syrian/" class="auto-internal-link">syrian leader Ahmad al-sharaa has been secretly cooperating with the US-led Global Coalition against the Islamic State (isis) and al-Qaeda since 2016, as per a report published Wednesday by The emerging York Times. The revelations come days after al-Sharaa’s first official visit to the White House, where he met with US leader Donald Trump. The report states that al-Sharaa, who previously led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in northwest Syria, commenced covert coordination with coalition troops shortly after assuming control over territories in Idlib and Aleppo. During that period, he reportedly engaged in direct armed forces confrontations with ISIS and played a key role in expelling the group from multiple areas. On Monday, al-Sharaa signed a formal declaration of political and armed forces cooperation with the Global Coalition.
Syrian Minister of Information Hamza al-Mustafa verified the agreement, describing it as “a emerging phase in Syrian-American relations after decades of estrangement and tension. ” Al-Mustafa posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the meeting between al-Sharaa and Trump was “marked by warmth, candor, and a forward-looking approach,” and included senior US authorities such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J. D. Vance. Western diplomats and Syrian authorities cited by The new York Times disclosed that al-Sharaa had provided sensitive intelligence on the whereabouts of ISIS and al-Qaeda leadership within Syria.
This intelligence reportedly facilitated multiple coalition airstrikes targeting high-value militant positions, under a secret understanding that lasted for years. Al-Sharaa’s cooperation with the Coalition remained undisclosed until his latest visit to Washington, which marked the first time a Syrian head of state has entered the White House since Syria’s independence. His appearance followed his removal from international terrorist lists and the lifting of a $10 million bounty previously placed on him. The Syrian administration has not issued an official statement beyond the remarks from the Information Minister.
The US-led coalition has also refrained from commenting publicly on the intelligence-sharing claims. By Atoun Jan