Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:30pm on 20 Dec 2024,Friday International
The US has dropped a $10M bounty on Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's new de facto leader, following high-level diplomatic talks in Damascus. Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf described the discussions with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader as "pragmatic." The US delegation also sought information on missing Americans, including journalist Austin Tice. This marks Washington's first formal visit to Syria in over a decade, aiming to influence post-Assad governance. Meanwhile, CENTCOM confirmed the death of IS leader Abu Yusif in an airstrike. The US insists on conditions for HTS before lifting its terrorist designation.
