Syria joins US-led coalition against Islamic State

Syria on Monday joined the US-led coalition against the extremist militia organization Islamic State.

Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa wrote on X that Syria had signed a political cooperation agreement with the international coalition, "confirming its role as a partner in combating terrorism and supporting regional stability."

"The agreement is political and until now contains no military components," the minister added.

The announcement came as interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa met US President Donald Trump on Monday, becoming the first Syrian head of state to visit the White House since the country's independence in 1946.

Islamic State, which called for a fundamentalist version of Islamic rule, at times controlled about 40% of Iraq and about a third of neighbouring Syria. A US-led military alliance in 2014 began the fight against the group, which is now considered militarily defeated.

However, it has not entirely disappeared. According to the US Central Command, there are currently around 2,500 fighters in the two countries who continue to carry out attacks.