Michael Hernandez
July 27, 2017•Update: July 28, 2017
By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON
The U.S. acknowledged Thursday it has stopped support for a rebel group in southern Syria after it warned that partner forces must fight Daesh alone.
The decision comes after Shuhada Al-Qaryatayn conducted a unilateral military action against an unspecified belligerent in Syria, with reports suggesting it was forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad.
Coalition spokesman Army Col. Ryan Dillon told reporters at the Pentagon partner forces must "fight ISIS and fight ISIS only", referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, another name for Daesh.
"They pursued other objectives that were not consistent with fighting ISIS," he said. "Fighting the regime could be one of those objectives."
The U.S. has maintained it is in Syria for the sole purpose of defeating Daesh.
"We have since talked with them and made them know that we cannot support them if they want to pursue objectives other than defeating ISIS," Dillon said. "And so, that's exactly what we've done. And we are no longer going to support this particular group because that is what they want to do."
Washington will now seek to retrieve some of the equipment it provided to Shuhada Al-Qaryatayn, Dillon said.
The cut off of military aid closely follows President Donald Trump's decision to end a covert CIA program to train and equip Syrian rebels.
