FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. is mounting an increasing blitz of air attacks and military missions against Islamist terrorists in Somalia to reduce the threat of jihadi attacks on the U.S. homeland.

The terrorists are said to be mainly affiliated with Islamic State (ISIS) or al Qaeda. This is according to U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John Brennan, the second highest-ranking officer at U.S. Africa Command, who talked exclusively last week to Fox News Digital.

Brennan, a former U.S. Special Forces leader who served in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, confirmed, "There's ISIS-inspired threats. They plot against the United States homeland as well as Europe. So that's kind of the nexus of the threat."

AFTER TRUMP STRIKES ISLAMIST TERRORISTS, US GENERAL TRAVELS TO NIGERIA WITH MILITANTS 'ON THE RUN'

"So think," Brennan said, "American citizens on social media get recruited to do bad things inside America. And then there's ISIS lead and ISIS resource cells that are capable of larger-scale attacks. We've stopped, over the history since 9/11, a lot of those from happening, because of what we do overseas, so we're playing the away game."

He continued, "When you give a terrorist organization that has resourcing like ISIS time and space to plot and plan, those ISIS and terrorist-led attacks can happen. If they're on the run, and they're constantly worried about surviving, they can't be as effective at planning and plotting."

The U.S., with strikes and intelligence capabilities, is on an aggressive campaign to smash terror’s hold on Somalia, and stop the country from being what the State Department described in 2017 as "a terrorist safe haven".

In 2025, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), working with Somali and other partners, carried out 124 airstrikes on ISIS-Somalia (Islamic State) and al-Shabab jihadi terrorists and their facilities in Somalia, 12 times the amount of missions flown under the Biden administration in 2024. 

In the first month of 2026, the U.S. has staged another 26 attacks – 2½ more than the 10 that were carried out in the whole of 2024.

The focus of Islamist terror has moved from the Middle East to Africa, and specifically to Somalia, Brennan told Fox News Digital. "The caliph — absolute leader — of the global ISIS network, Abdulqadir Mumin, is a Somali, and he is in the (Somali) Golis Mountains along with a lot of his key leaders. And from that location they direct terrorist activities, not just across Africa. He is directing global ISIS operations that go to the Far East, Europe and the U.S."

President Donald Trump, referring to Somalia in February 2025, posted on his Truth Social account, "The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!’"

Asked by Fox News Digital this week whether U.S. forces are hunting the ISIS leader Mumin, Brennan replied, "Yes, absolutely. We want to make sure he has no safe space anywhere. History has shown that the ISIS caliph ends up getting killed by us at some point."

"We’re on no. 4 right now," he added. The most notorious, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was hunted down in Syria.

In Somalia, the Islamic State is represented by ISIS-Somalia. "We've had a lot of success targeting that network, ISIS-Somalia," he said.

"We've taken large swathes of terrain back — our partners have. We've just enabled with intel sharing ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) and fires — airstrikes. About well over half the territory that ISIS Somalia once maintained up in Puntland — an autonomous state in North-Eastern Somalia — is now under the control of the Puntland Defense Forces."

"They've conducted a massive amount of clearing operations, taking back terrain, capturing a great number of ISIS operatives, as well as a lot of their material. But again, our main mission is to secure the homeland — make sure that none of this threat migrates back to our shores. I think we've been pretty successful at that and if the PDF can continue what they're doing, ISIS Somalia may cease to exist before too long. That's our ultimate goal," he said.

SOMALIS LIVE IN CONSTANT FEAR, DANGER AS DISTURBING REALITY HOVERS OVER THEIR DAILY LIVES

Al-Shabab, the local al Qaeda affiliate, is, however, still a problem in Somalia. He said, "In the south you have al-Shabab, and that threat has definitely morphed over the last year or so, as they are coordinating with the Houthis."

"Not as much (an) external operations threat," the general continued, "but in fact, al-Shabab is, I think, the strongest, largest, most well financed part of the al Qaeda global franchise and their desire is to take over Mogadishu and turn Somalia into an al Qaeda caliphate."

The U.S. role in Somalia in 2026 is increasingly "remote advise and assist," with most of the Somali troops using their own ground assault vehicles, Brennan said, adding that on occasion they provide them "with a ride to work" — transporting them to raids on U.S. helicopters and providing airstrike support.

AFRICOM provides advanced intelligence capabilities. Brennan said, "We've given them tools that allow them to see what the ISR aircraft are seeing. We can show them things on a moving map that they're carrying on their chest."

Ambassador Robert Scott, a senior career diplomat who was brought in by the State Department in 2023 to serve as deputy to the commander for civil-military engagement with AFRICOM, told Fox News Digital that governments around Somalia have been able to share the burden with AFRICOM — "not only Kenya and Ethiopia and Uganda, but also Somaliland, Puntland especially (and) also Jubaland. So (we are) finding partners who are willing to engage in the fight against both ISIS and al Shabab. I think it's been very effective."

Brennan also says the U.S. military activity in Somalia could lead to huge trade potential. "There's natural resources in Somalia that, because of the security situation, the Somalis have not benefited from," he added. "Now the Somalis are realizing they may have critical minerals."

"There's LNG (liquified natural gas) off the coast of Mogadishu, so that our biggest weapon system, if you will, from an African perspective, is our private sector economy. If we can get that in there with private sector investment similar to other countries in Africa, that is a guarantor of security."       

A video showing a Syrian militiaman holding what he claims to be a severed braid belonging to a Kurdish fighter killed in Raqqa has sparked outrage as Damascus moves to assert control in northeastern Syria amid a fragile ceasefire.

In the video, the man holds up what appears to be a cut braid. He is said to tell the person filming that he took it from a woman he claims was affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). 

When asked why, he responds, "She’s already gone, what will she do?" according to London-based news outlet New Arab.

The video prompted an online campaign and protests where Kurdish women braided their hair in solidarity.  Outrage continued to grow as control in northeastern Syria began to shift, AFP reported.

TURKEY SAYS SYRIA USING FORCE IS AN OPTION AGAINST US-BACKED FIGHTERS WHO HELPED DEFEAT ISIS

"The video highlighted the fears many Kurds have about what Syrian government control could mean for their communities," Syria analyst Nanar Hawach told Fox News Digital.

"The Damascus-affiliated fighter held up a severed braid, claiming he cut it from a YPJ fighter killed in Raqqa, but he later claimed it was ‘artificial’ and ‘a joke.’ The woman’s identity and fate remain unverified," Hawach, of International Crisis Group, said

"The response matters more than the video though," he added, noting that the braid carries "cultural significance in Kurdish tradition and has become a symbol of women’s resistance."

US STRIKE ELIMINATES AL QAEDA OPERATIVE CONNECTED TO ISIS AMBUSH THAT KILLED 3 AMERICANS IN SYRIA

The incident comes as Damascus, under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, pushes to expand its reach and authority into areas long governed by the SDF, the U.S.' main partner in the fight against ISIS in Syria.

Raqqa, once the Islamic State group’s de facto capital, has also seen fighting emerge across the region between Syrian government forces and Kurdish units, prompting a U.S.-brokered cease-fire on Jan. 18.

The truce followed diplomatic efforts by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who met SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani in Erbil on Jan. 17 before traveling to Damascus to meet al-Sharaa, Reuters reported.

"This new 15-day ceasefire extension has created a real diplomatic window, but postpones rather than resolves the fundamental dispute," Hawach said.

ISIS FIGHTERS BREAK FREE FROM SYRIAN JAIL AMID CHAOTIC GOVERNMENT HANDOVER

"For Syria’s Kurds, the extension offers temporary relief but perhaps little certainty about what comes next," he said. "The fundamental disagreement remains: Damascus insists on individual integration, while the SDF views organizational dissolution as political erasure."

The ceasefire extension was also tied to security concerns surrounding ISIS prisoners held in northeastern Syria.

Damascus has taken control of several detention sites. As previously reported by Fox News Digital, prisoners escaped amid the transfer of control before U.S. Central Command began moving detainees to Iraq on Jan. 21, with the operation ongoing.

ISIS FIGHTERS STILL AT LARGE AFTER SYRIAN PRISON BREAK, CONTRIBUTING TO VOLATILE SECURITY SITUATION

"Washington is racing to transfer detainees before the security situation deteriorates further," Hawach said.

"Washington’s goal is to prevent this standoff from producing two outcomes: violence against Kurds, or an Islamic State resurgence from detention facilities," he said.

"The U.S. is trying to ensure this transition doesn’t end in violence along ethnic lines or an Islamic State resurgence," Hawach added.

"The fundamental dispute over integration between the SDF and Damascus remains unresolved. If they cannot bridge that gap, renewed fighting is possible when this new 15-day ceasefire expires," he said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo both issued dire warnings about the pressing need to protect the endangered Syrian Kurdish population under attack by government forces in the war-torn nation.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who earlier this month ordered his army, which reportedly has a large jihadist element in it, to conquer territory controlled for more than a decade by the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF.)

Writing on the social media platform X on, Graham declared, "There is strong and growing bipartisan interest in the U.S. Senate regarding the deteriorating situation in Syria. There is strong consensus that we must protect the Kurds who were there for us in destroying the ISIS caliphate, as well as many other groups."

Pompeo responded to Graham’s post, stating, "Turning our backs on our Kurdish allies would be a moral and strategic disaster."

CHAOS IN SYRIA SPARKS FEARS OF ISIS PRISON BREAKS AS US RUSHES DETAINEES TO IRAQ

The Trump administration is facing criticism from its long-standing ally, the Syrian Kurds, who played a crucial role in the defeat of the Islamic State in the heartland of the Middle East, following a U.S. government announcement on social media that seemed to hint that the partnership had ended this past week with the Kurdish-run SDF in northern Syria.

The SDF formed as a bulwark against the rapid spread of the Islamic State’s terrorist movement in 2013. ISIS created a caliphate covering significant territory in Syria and Iraq. Al-Sharaa was a former member of the Islamic State and al Qaeda.

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department regarding U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, who also serves as the Special Envoy for Syria, for a response to his recent statement on X wrote that indicated the U.S. partnership with the SDF was over.

Barrack wrote, "The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by Kurds, proved the most effective ground partner in defeating ISIS’s territorial caliphate by 2019, detaining thousands of ISIS fighters and family members in prisons and camps like al-Hol and al-Shaddadi. At that time, there was no functioning central Syrian state to partner with — the Assad regime was weakened, contested, and not a viable partner against ISIS due to its alliances with Iran and Russia."

He added, "Today, the situation has fundamentally changed. Syria now has an acknowledged central government that has joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (as its 90th member in late 2025), signaling a westward pivot and cooperation with the U.S. on counterterrorism."

TURKEY SAYS SYRIA USING FORCE IS AN OPTION AGAINST US-BACKED FIGHTERS WHO HELPED DEFEAT ISIS

Iham Ahmed, a prominent Syrian Kurdish politician, told Fox News Digital that, "We really wished to see a firm position from the U.S. The Kurdish people are at the risk of extermination. The U.S. does not give any solid or tangible guarantees."

Ahmed cast doubt on statements like Barrack’s, warning the "Syrian army is still consisting of radical factions that no one can trust. Alawites, Christians, Sunnis and Druze cannot trust these factions. We could face massacres, which happened in other Syrian cities."

When asked by Fox News Digital if the SDF wants Israel to intervene to aid the Kurds as it did to help the Syrian Druze and other minorities last year, Ahmed said, "Whoever wants to help us should do so – today is the day." She said that "the Islamic State is showing itself in the image of an official army. Everyone is threatened now."

She urged a "special status for the Kurdish region" in northeastern Syria.

Ahmed accused the Erdoğan government of nefarious involvement. "Turkey stands behind the attacks on our region. Turkish intelligence and small groups are leading attacks. Statements from Turkey are encouraging the extermination of our people," she claimed.

Fox News Digital sent a press query to the Turkish embassy spokesman in Washington D.C.

ISRAELI OFFICIAL ISSUES STARK WARNING AFTER CHILLING SYRIAN MILITARY WAR CHANTS SURFACE

The influential president of the Family Research Council, Tony Perkins, wrote on X that, "Sen. Graham is right. I’ve been discussing the situation in NE Syria with Republican House leaders.  It is not in America’s interest for Islamist forces to seize territory once governed by trusted U.S. allies who protected minorities and advanced religious freedom. Yet this is happening as Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa’s forces move into northeast Syria, displacing the Syrian Democratic Forces — our partners in the fight against ISIS, who lost thousands of fighters, guarded U.S. bases, and detained ISIS prisoners."

He continued, "Before we place trust in al-Sharaa, a former al Qaeda insurgent who fought U.S. forces in Iraq and was held at Abu Ghraib, he has to show he is trustworthy.  So far, he is failing the test."

Sinam Mohamad, the representative of the Syrian Democratic Council to the U.S., had harsh words for the administration, telling Fox News Digital, "American officials continue to describe the SDF as a reliable partner in that narrow mission. Washington avoids framing the relationship as a political alliance. The U.S. never intended a long-term political commitment to the Syrian Kurds. It was a military partnership without political guarantees. From Washington’s view, that’s consistency. From the Kurdish view, that’s betrayal."

She added there has been an announcement of a 15-day extension of a ceasefire, "But both the SDF and outside observers noted continued [Syrian] government troop buildups near Kurdish-held areas, signaling that conflict could resume." She added, "The Kurds want to have peace and stability through negotiations."

Some ISIS prisoners who escaped from a prison in northeastern Syria Jan. 19 are still unaccounted for after the ensuing chaos made tracking some of the fighters "impossible," an analyst familiar with the situation claimed.

And as U.S. forces move to transfer thousands of male militants from the region to Iraq, the wives of ISIS fighters have been left behind in what he described as "fragile" detention camps.

"Damascus claims most of the escapees were recaptured, but some remain at large," Syria analyst Nanar Hawach told Fox News Digital.

"The exact number unaccounted for is unclear because the chaos made tracking them all impossible," said Hawach of the International Crisis Group.

IRAN EXPANDS IT ‘SHADOW EMPIRE’ ACROSS MIDDLE EAST AS TRUMP PULLS TROOPS FROM IRAQ, SYRIA

"The U.S. transfer to Iraq covers male detainees from prisons, but those detained in camps remain in Syria under Damascus’ control."

The instability also came ahead of reports that the U.S. is considering a complete withdrawal of troops from Syria. 

Charles Lister, director of the Syria program at the Middle East Institute, told the Wall Street Journal Thursday that "the main thing that has been holding the U.S. force presence in Syria over the last year is the detention facilities and the camps."

U.S. Central Command confirmed Jan. 21 that it had begun transferring ISIS prisoners to Iraqi-controlled centers as an emergency effort to prevent a resurgence of the terror group amid deteriorating security conditions.

The move followed the prison escape at a detention center in Hasakah province during clashes between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Militants broke out during the unrest, and while many were later recaptured, the full scope of the escape remains unclear.

U.S. forces have already transported roughly 150 ISIS fighters from a detention center in Hasakah to secure locations in Iraq, according to CENTCOM, which said as many as 7,000 detainees could be transferred.

TRUMP ORDERS ISIS STRIKES IN SYRIA AFTER IOWA NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS KILLED

An Iraqi intelligence general told The Associated Press Jan. 21 that Iraqi authorities received an initial batch of 144 detainees, with additional transfers planned by aircraft.

"The U.S. is facilitating transfers to Iraqi custody as an emergency measure because of the unstable security situation in northeast Syria," Hawach said, noting that Iraq’s secure prisons "reduce the risk of further mass breakouts."

"Human rights organizations have raised concerns about trial procedures in Iraq, but the priority right now is preventing escapes, and Iraq can deliver that."

Hawach emphasized that the transfers apply only to male fighters held in prisons, not to women and children confined in camps such as the notorious al-Hawl.

TURKEY SAYS SYRIA USING FORCE IS AN OPTION AGAINST US-BACKED FIGHTERS WHO HELPED DEFEAT ISIS

Al-Hawl camp has held tens of thousands of ISIS-affiliated women and children since the group’s territorial defeat in 2019.

"Women and children are held in camps, not prisons, and are processed differently than male fighters," Hawach said.

"The long-term solution for women and children is repatriation to their home countries, but most governments have been reluctant.

"Some women are ideologically committed; some are not. Distinguishing between them requires case-by-case assessments that haven’t happened at scale." 

Still, Hawach warned, the deeper problem remains unresolved.

"The detention system was always fragile, always underfunded, always a temporary solution waiting for permanent answers," he said.

"The transfers to Iraq address the immediate crisis but don’t solve the underlying problem of what to do with this population long-term."

U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said this week that "the original purpose of the SDF as the primary anti-ISIS force on the ground has largely expired, as Damascus is now both willing and positioned to take over security responsibilities, including control of ISIS detention facilities and camps."

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday it has begun moving ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities as part of a broader effort to prevent the terror group's resurgence and maintain long-term security in the region.

CENTCOM said U.S. forces transported 150 ISIS fighters who were being held at a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq, with up to 7,000 detainees potentially slated for transfer.

"We are closely coordinating with regional partners, including the Iraqi government, and we sincerely appreciate their role in ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS," said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. "Facilitating the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security."

US LAUNCHES WAVE OF STRIKES IN SOMALIA TARGETING ISIS, AL-SHABAB TERROR THREATS

The announcement comes one day after Tom Barrack, U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, said Damascus is prepared to assume security responsibilities, including control of ISIS detention facilities and camps.

The State Department said in a 2025 report to Congress that roughly 8,400 ISIS-affiliated detainees from more than 70 countries are being held in detention facilities run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the largest of which is the al-Hol camp.

Barrack helped broker a fragile four-day ceasefire agreement Tuesday between the new interim Syrian government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, and the Kurdish-led SDF, after escalating clashes threatened to spiral further.

The U.S. official said the Trump administration does not seek a long-term military presence in Syria, emphasizing the need instead for a continued focus on defeating remaining ISIS elements.

"The deal integrates SDF fighters into the national military (as individuals, which remains among the most contentious issues), hand over key infrastructure (oil fields, dams, border crossings), and cede control of ISIS prisons and camps to Damascus," Barrack wrote on X.

"This creates a unique window for the Kurds: integration into the new Syrian state offers full citizenship rights (including for those previously stateless), recognition as an integral part of Syria, constitutional protections for Kurdish language and culture (e.g., teaching in Kurdish, celebrating Nawruz as a national holiday), and participation in governance—far beyond the semi-autonomy the SDF held amid civil war chaos," he added.

ISIS SOLDIERS BEHEAD CHRISTIANS IN MOZAMBIQUE, BURNING CHURCH AND HOMES: ‘SILENT GENOCIDE’

Syria’s Ministry of Interior said Monday that security forces had recaptured 81 of the 120 ISIS prisoners who escaped from the al-Shaddadi prison in the Hasakah countryside and were continuing efforts to track down the remaining escapees.

The interim government and the SDF have since traded blame over responsibility for the escape, which occurred amid heightened tensions over security arrangements in the region.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility on Monday for a suicide blast at a Chinese restaurant in Afghanistan that killed more than half a dozen people.

Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, told The New York Times the attack was carried out by one person linked to ISIS-Khorasan, commonly known as ISIS-K, one of the terrorist group’s most lethal branches.

ISIS-K has claimed it targets Chinese citizens as retaliation for Beijing's treatment of Uyghurs, a Muslim minority group, and has also denounced the Afghan government's relationship with China, according to the Times.

THIRD AFGHAN NATIONAL FROM BIDEN-ERA PROGRAM ARRESTED IN A WEEK BY ICE AGENTS IN VIRGINIA: DHS

Kabul police command spokesman Khalid Zadran said on X that seven people were killed in the explosion, including six Afghans and one Chinese national. Several others were injured.

Zadran said the blast occurred around 3 p.m. local time at a Chinese noodle restaurant in Kabul's Shahr-e-Naw neighborhood that was jointly run by Abdul Majeed, a Chinese Muslim from Xinjiang province, his wife, and an Afghan named Abdul Jabbar Mahmoud.

"The explosion occurred near the kitchen. The nature of the explosion is still unknown, investigations are ongoing," he added.

TALIBAN KILLS INTERNET ACROSS AFGHANISTAN, CITING MORALITY CONCERNS AS UN PROTESTS

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday that one Chinese national was killed and five others were wounded in the attack.

Jiakun offered condolences to the families and said officials from the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan have visited the wounded in the hospital. He said China urged the Afghan government to do more to keep Chinese nationals and institutions safe.

NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERTS SOUND ALARM OVER CCP-LINKED LAND OWNERSHIP NEAR US MILITARY BASES: ‘UNTHINKABLE’

"China strongly condemns and firmly opposes any form of terrorism, supports Afghanistan and regional countries in jointly fighting all forms of terrorist and violent activities," he said.

"Given the current security situation in Afghanistan, the Ministry once again advises Chinese nationals not to travel to Afghanistan in the near future and asks Chinese nationals and companies already in Afghanistan to take extra precautions, step up security and depart high-risk regions as soon as possible."

The Syrian army’s rapid-fire conquest of important areas and towns previously controlled by the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), culminated on Sunday in a fragile ceasefire agreement with a stern warning from a powerful U.S. Senator and experts about the reported crimes of forces controlled by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Jim Risch, R-Idaho., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Fox News Digital, "The Syrian government’s decree to respect Kurdish rights is a good sign, but the conduct of its forces on the ground must match. Division and violence in Syria between U.S. partners only benefit bad actors like ISIS and Iran who exploit Syria to use as a breeding ground for international terrorism, including against the U.S. I welcome the announcement of a ceasefire and will be watching its implementation closely."

Al-Sharaa, a former U.S.-designated terrorist who was a member of the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, greenlighted an incursion into territory ruled peacefully by the SDF for over a decade.

Amid Risch's warning, reports coming out of Syria claim skirmishes between the Syrian army and SDF are continuing. 

134 HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEMAND 'ASSURANCES' BEFORE US EASES SYRIA SANCTIONS

The news organization, Kurdistan 24, showed alleged footage of  al-Sharaa’s forces releasing Islamic State prisoners. According to the report, "The Syrian Arab Army releases ISIS prisoners in al-Tabqah city." 

The footage has been widely posted on social media. Fox News Digital could not independently verify the video.

The State Department referred Fox News Digital to an X post from the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, who also serves as the Special Envoy for Syria. Barrack wrote on X about the deal between SDF General Mazloum Abdi and al-Sharra.

"Two great Syrian leaders, driven by the shared vision of liberating their country and people from tyranny, have now come together to forge a brighter future for all Syrians. This agreement and ceasefire represent a pivotal inflection point, where former adversaries embrace partnership over division."

TRUMP HOLDS KEY TO SAVING SYRIA'S VANISHING CHRISTIANS IN CRUCIAL WHITE HOUSE MEETING

Barrack added, "President al-Sharaa has affirmed that the Kurds are an integral part of Syria, and the United States looks forward to the seamless integration of our historic partner in the fight against ISIS with the Global Coalition’s newest member, as we press forward in the enduring battle against terrorism."

However, the People's Protection Units (YPG) commander Sipan Hamo — a Syrian organization that is part of the SDF — said on the Saturday meeting between U.S. envoy Tom Barrack and Kurdish officials produced no roadmap to a ceasefire. He denied Syria's Kurds wanted to secede or create an independent state and said their future was in Syria.

"Our greatest hope is that there will be a tangible outcome, especially from the coalition and the United States, meaning that they will intervene more forcefully in the existing problems than what they are currently doing," Hamo said.

The head of the main Kurdish forces told Reuters that the U.S. should intervene more forcefully to end a Syrian offensive that has gained key territory from Kurdish fighters in recent days.

DEADLY STRIKE ON US TROOPS TESTS TRUMP’S COUNTER-ISIS PLAN — AND HIS TRUST IN SYRIA’S NEW LEADER

Government troops launched an offensive on Saturday into territory run for the last decade by semi-autonomous Kurdish authorities in the northeast of Syria, capturing towns on both sides of the Euphrates River and the country's largest oil and gas field, officials and security sources said.

But given Kurdish "concerns about the changes taking place," the U.S. should offer assurances of protection to them.

Hamo said that, "In the current situation and the chaos we are living in, the only ones who can offer guarantees are the United States or the coalition," he added in a rare interview from Hasakeh province, which is still under Kurdish control.

"We believe that the responsibility for everything currently happening inside Syria lies with the Western countries, and especially the United States of America," he said.

"Of course, we consider Israel a powerful state in the region with its own agenda. We hope that the same stance taken by other countries in the region towards certain minorities in Syria will be extended to the Kurds as well," Hamo said.

Asked if he was referring to Israel's stance towards the Druze minority last summer — when Israel carried out air strikes on the defense ministry, near the presidential palace in Damascus and on Syrian troops advancing on Druze cities, Hamo said, "of course."

ISRAEL AND SYRIA RESUME DIPLOMATIC DIALOGUE AFTER MONTHS OF SILENCE UNDER US MEDIATION

Mutlu Civiroglu, a Kurdish affairs analyst, told Fox News Digital that, "President Trump has spoken about giving Syria and all its peoples a fresh opportunity to turn a new page. Yet, Ahmed al Sharaa’s actions appear to move against that intention, and many Kurds believe he is abusing the political space that was meant to support stability rather than deepen tensions. "

Civiroglu added that "I don’t think the U.S. is abandoning the Kurds, but President Trump’s good intention is being abused by Sharaa. Lawmakers in Washington have also expressed unease about the interim Syrian government’s treatment of minorities, which reflects broader questions about its commitment to inclusive governance."

Civiroglu posted footage on his popular X account of al-Sharaa supporters toppling "a statue of a female Kurdish fighter after interim Syrian government forces seized Tabqa from the SDF. Kurdish fighters backed by the United States had liberated the town from ISIS in May 2017."

Civiroglu said, "al-Sharaa’s confrontations with Kurdish forces, following earlier pressure on Alawite and Druze areas, reinforce doubts about the interim government’s legitimacy and its ability to represent Syria’s diverse population.

"The International community must remember that the Kurdish people have long fought alongside the United States, France and the West in the campaign against ISIS, and many are watching closely to see how these partners interpret the latest escalation," he said.

Max Abrahms, a leading expert on counter-terrorism and a professor of political science at Northeastern University, told Fox News Digital, "The YPG and then SDF were America’s primary counterterrorism forces against Islamic State in Syria during the war. Unlike the so-called "rebels," our Kurdish warrior friends exhibited both capability and moderation. It’s not surprising that the jihadists, upon taking power in Damascus, would turn their guns on the Kurdish forces. Of course, we need to stand with them."

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Saturday a leader affiliated with al Qaeda who had direct ties to an ISIS terrorist responsible for killing two U.S. service members and an American interpreter Dec. 13 was killed in a U.S. strike in northwest Syria Friday.

CENTCOM officials said Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks and was "directly connected" with the ISIS gunman who killed and injured American and Syrian personnel last month in Palmyra, Syria.

"The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces," said CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper. "There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you."

CENTCOM launched large-scale strikes in Syria in response to the Dec. 13 attack.

US TROOPS PULL OUT OF MAJOR IRAQ AIRBASE AMID ONGOING REGIONAL CONSOLIDATION EFFORT, PROGRESS AGAINST ISIS

Operation Hawkeye Strike resulted in U.S. and partner forces hitting more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons site targets with over 200 precision munitions.

More than 300 ISIS operatives were captured and more than 20 were killed across Syria within the past year, according to CENTCOM.

U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and members of their team in Damascus Jan. 10 to discuss recent developments in Aleppo and the broader path forward for Syria’s historic transition.

TRUMP ATTENDS SOLEMN DIGNIFIED TRANSFER FOR IOWA GUARDSMEN, CIVILIAN KILLED IN SYRIA ISIS ATTACK

In a statement on X, Barrack said President Donald Trump agreed to lift sanctions to "give Syria a chance" to move forward. 

"The United States Government welcomes Syria’s historic transition and extends its support to the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa as it works to stabilize the country, rebuild national institutions, and fulfill the aspirations of all Syrians for peace, security, and prosperity," Barrack wrote in the post.

REPUBLICAN SENATOR CONDEMNS ALLEGED SYRIAN ARMY ABUSES AS CEASEFIRE FOLLOWS ALEPPO FIGHTING 

He added that the Syrian government has reaffirmed its commitment to the March 2025 integration agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) but called developments in Aleppo that "appear to challenge the terms of this agreement" deeply concerning.

"We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, immediately cease hostilities, and return to dialogue in accordance with the March 10 and April 1, 2025 agreements between the Syrian government and the SDF," Barrack wrote. 

"Violence risks undermining the progress achieved since the fall of the Assad regime and invites external interference that serves no party’s interests. … The objective remains a sovereign, unified Syria — at peace with itself and its neighbors — where equality, justice, and opportunity are extended to all its people."

U.S. troops have pulled out of Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, Fox News has learned.

The withdrawal from the base, part of an ongoing effort to consolidate troops in the region that was announced last fall, was completed by Friday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) sources told Fox News. 

"We're able to consolidate because of the significant progress made there. ISIS in Iraq doesn't pose a threat beyond Iraq's capacity to handle on their own," a U.S. official told Fox News. The official added that it speaks to "our success in rooting out the ISIS threat in Iraq and Iraqi forces' willingness and progress in standing on their own."

The official added that U.S. forces are consolidating outside of federal Iraqi territory, meaning they’re concentrating forces elsewhere to focus on engaging remnants of ISIS in Syria. 

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The move comes as CENTCOM is calling for cooperation and teamwork among Syrian partners in coordination with American forces to combat ISIS.

"We welcome ongoing efforts by all parties in Syria to prevent escalation and pursue resolution through dialogue. We also urge Syrian government forces to cease any offensive actions in areas between Aleppo and al-Tabqa. Aggressively pursuing ISIS and relentlessly applying military pressure requires teamwork among Syrian partners and coordination with U.S. and coalition forces. A Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors is essential to peace and stability across the region," Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in a statement posted on X.

The statement appeared to be a call for additional coordination in countering ISIS rather than a warning to Damascus.

On Jan. 10, CENTCOM announced that the U.S., alongside partner forces, conducted large-scale strikes against ISIS targets in Syria. 

According to CENTCOM, the strikes were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was announced on Dec. 19, 2025, at the direction of President Donald Trump. The operation was launched "in direct response to the deadly ISIS attack on U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria," CENTCOM said in a statement.

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The Jan. 10 strikes came as U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said he met in Damascus with Syria’s new leadership to discuss the country’s future.

"Today, on behalf of President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, I met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, and members of their team in Damascus," Barrack wrote on X.

Barrack said the talks focused on "recent developments in Aleppo and the broader path forward for Syria’s historic transition," adding that the United States "welcomes Syria’s historic transition and extends its support to the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa."

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War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the launch of Operation Hawkeye Strike in December, saying it was in response to an attack on U.S. forces in Syria Dec. 13. 

Hegseth said the actions were "not the beginning of a war" but rather "a declaration of vengeance."

"Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria," Hegseth wrote on X.

On Dec. 19, American military forces employed more than 100 precision munitions to strike more than 70 targets of suspected ISIS sites at several locations across the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

Trump previously vowed revenge on the terror group after the soldiers — Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa — and interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat of Michigan were killed while conducting a key leader engagement, part of their mission in support of ongoing counter-ISIS/counter-terrorism operations in the region.

The gunman was killed by partner forces.

"Because of ISIS’s vicious killing of brave American Patriots in Syria, whose beautiful souls I welcomed home to American soil earlier this week in a very dignified ceremony, I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible," Trump wrote on Truth Social Dec. 19.

Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr and Louis Casiano, and Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.

Tensions between Syria’s transitional government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) escalated this week after Turkey warned that Damascus could resort to military force against the group, following days of deadly clashes in and around Aleppo. The SDF played a critical role in aiding U.S. forces to defeat the Islamic State in Syria.

Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said Thursday that Syria’s use of force against the SDF seems an option, adding he hoped the crisis could be resolved through dialogue, according to Reuters.

The remarks came after several days of fighting between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters that displaced tens of thousands of civilians and left at least 23 people dead, Reuters reported.

The warning underscores mounting regional pressure as negotiations aimed at integrating the SDF into Syria’s national army remain stalled nearly a year after a U.S.-backed framework agreement was signed.

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The United States remains deeply involved in efforts to prevent the confrontation from spiraling, with U.S. Central Command mediating daily on the ground in Syria alongside partners such as France, the U.K., Turkey and Jordan. "CENTCOM is on the ground inside Syria playing an active mediating role every single day," said Charles Lister, senior fellow and director of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute.

"Fundamentally, the United States remains the SDF’s biggest and most important backer, supporter, provider of finance, training and, to an extent, defense," he said.

Lister said Washington has already used significant leverage, including compelling SDF leader Mazloum Abdi to sign the March 2025 framework agreement.

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"We would not have had the March framework agreement had it not been for basically Gen. Mazloum being strong-armed onto a helicopter, flown to Damascus, and told that he needed to sign that agreement," he said.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the SDF accused Syrian government forces and Turkey of what it described as a "dangerous military escalation" across eastern Aleppo’s countryside, including Deir Hafer, Maskanah and the area surrounding the Tishreen Dam.

The SDF claimed Syrian government forces carried out more than a dozen attacks using artillery, mortars and suicide drones and said civilian infrastructure, including a post office and a bakery, was struck.

The SDF also said Turkish Bayraktar drones struck multiple SDF positions near Maskanah and Tabqah. Turkey and the Syrian government had not publicly responded to the claims.

The crisis stems from a failed March 2025 agreement intended to merge SDF forces into Syria’s Ministry of Defense.

"There’s no question that Damascus has been a tough negotiator," Lister said. "Having said that, the government has also bent significantly."

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Lister claims the deal stalled because of internal divisions within the SDF. "The fact that no deal has been implemented is quite frankly because the SDF is not a united, cohesive movement," he said. "There are elements within the SDF who absolutely do not want this deal to be implemented."

He said some factions are deliberately delaying implementation. "Their calculation is clearly that the longer that they can stall, they hope that the Syrian transitional government will do something to destroy its international credibility," Lister said. "It’s just a stall-and-wait-and-see approach."

"That approach is intrinsically dangerous," he said. "It only guarantees conflict."

"Over the past two or three days, there have been a number of Turkish drone strikes on SDF military bases in this frontline district in eastern rural Aleppo," Lister said.

"Turkey is primed to get back involved," he said. "When Turkey has gone all out on the SDF, the SDF haven’t stood a chance."

According to Lister, only pressure from the highest level could alter the trajectory.

"The only thing that’s going to change the equation here is if President Trump makes it publicly clear that this deal has to be made and implemented expeditiously," he said.

"This is not contained," Lister warned. "All the preparations are clearly being made for this to become an active military zone unless serious diplomacy pulls both sides off the brink."

A statement issued by the U.S. Mission of the Syrian Democratic Council accused Syria’s transitional authorities of targeting Kurdish areas in Aleppo and undermining the political process. "What is happening now is not merely a military escalation by the Damascus authorities," the statement said. "It is an effort to undermine the prospects of building a new Syria."

The council said Syrian forces were taking control of Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo "through force, intimidation, and coercion," and warned that the escalation could destabilize the region. The group also warned that continued fighting could benefit extremist groups.

"The primary beneficiary of this escalation will be ISIS, allowing terrorism to re-emerge and once again threaten international peace and security," the statement said.

"We call for an immediate and independent investigation into the crimes committed against Kurds in Aleppo. We urge US decision-makers to monitor the conduct and behavior of the Damascus authorities, take the necessary measures to halt the escalation, and implement the March 10 agreement in full—without any delay or pretext whatsoever."

Reuters contributed to this report.

The U.S. stepped up airstrikes in Somalia in January, targeting al-Shabab and the local affiliate of the Islamic State group, ISS, according to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

In a Jan. 12 release, AFRICOM said U.S. forces, working with the Somali federal government, carried out airstrikes against al-Shabab militants.

AFRICOM said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to "degrade the group’s ability to threaten the U.S. homeland, U.S. forces and Americans overseas."

Airstrikes against ISIS—Somalia were also reported on Jan. 11 and Jan. 9 in northern Somalia, including the Golis Mountains region of Puntland, southeast of Bosaso. 

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Additional airstrikes targeting al-Shabab were reported on Jan. 8, including one in the vicinity of Buur Heybo, about 154 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu.

The command said between the evening of Jan. 3–4, strikes were also conducted "in coordination with Somali authorities."

AFRICOM said in a release the strikes were part of a broader campaign conducted with Somali partners. No casualty figures were released.

The latest spate of operations comes amid a broader intensification of U.S. airstrikes in Somalia.

According to information released by AFRICOM, between Feb. 1, when the Trump administration conducted its first strike in Somalia in 2025, and June 10, the U.S. carried out 38 airstrikes against al-Shabab and the Islamic State in Somalia.

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AFRICOM has said additional strikes have been conducted since June 10.

Independent monitoring organizations have reported a rise in strikes since President Donald Trump returned to office in 2024, according to a report by the Combating Terrorism Center.

The report cited an April 2025 statement by AFRICOM commander Gen. Michael E. Langley before the Senate Armed Services Committee, in which he referenced the potential threat posed by jihadi groups in Africa to the U.S. homeland.

"We are acutely aware that if ISIS and al Qaeda groups continue their expansion, they will pose a direct threat to the U.S. homeland," Langley said.

"Given this environment, US AFRICOM will work collaboratively with the intelligence community and inter-agency partners to keep the risk to U.S. national security interests low," Langley said in a statement.

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Al-Shabab, an al Qaeda affiliate, has waged war on Somalia’s government since 2007 and continues to control territory in south-central Somalia.

ISIS-Somalia is a smaller faction concentrated largely in Puntland’s mountainous northeast, where it is also said to compete with al-Shabab for influence.

According to the U.S.-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Somalia’s conflict with armed groups was the third-deadliest in Africa through 2024, killing an estimated 7,289 people.

Fox News Digital has reached out to AFRICOM for comment.