Syrian army takes control over key air base in Hasakah

DAMASCUS

The Syrian army said it took control of the al-Shaddadi military base in northeastern Syria after coordination with the United States under a Washington-brokered deal to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the state institutions, the Syrian state news agency reported on Feb. 15.

The move on the key air base followed the U.S. pullout from al-Tanf strategic base.

Meanwhile, U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference and they discussed Damascus's recent agreement with the SDF.

A post by the Syrian Foreign Ministry included pictures showing that SDF head Mazloum Abdi, also attended the meeting.

Syria's government and the SDF signed last month an agreement to gradually integrate the SDF’s military and civilian institutions into the state.

It came after the SDF ceded territory to advancing government troops following months of tensions and sporadic clashes.

Rubio and Shaibani discussed the "latest domestic and regional developments, while stressing the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic,” the Foreign Ministry statement said.

SDF leader Abdi later announced that he attended the meeting, describing it as "positive" and telling local media that the meeting discussed the integration process.

The meeting coincided with a move by Damascus to appoint a Kurdish governor of Hasakeh province in eastern Syria, according to a decree published on Feb. 13.

The U.S. military said on Feb. 14 that its forces had struck more than 30 ISIL targets in Syria this month, maintaining pressure on the jihadists after a deadly attack on U.S. troops last year.

The strikes also came as the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) in recent weeks transferred thousands of ISIL detainees from Syria to Iraq.