Special Operations Command Central has restructured its special operations task force in the Middle East to continue to combat threats from the Islamic State.
Special Operations Joint Task Force–Levant replaced Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, which oversaw operations in Syria and Iraq, on July 1, Military Times reported on Monday.
US SPENT MORE THAN $100B ON SINCE-DISMANTLED AFGHAN GOVERNMENT AND ARMY: WATCHDOG
Army Brig. Gen. Isaac J. Peltier is the commander of the restructured task force that will also oversee activities in Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt.
“We operate in a region with numerous terrorist and violent extremist organizations and share a common interest with partner nations in prevailing against these regional security challenges,” Special Operations Command Central spokesman Army Maj. Charles An told Military Times. “Including all countries in the Levant, expanding the SOJTF purview demonstrates our commitment to increasing stability in the region.”
The newly restructured special operations unit “allows for a broad, regional approach to that fight” while the mission “to ensure the enduring defeat of the ISIS caliphate” remains the same.
It’s unclear how many special operators are in SOJTF. Special operators have conducted joint combined exchange training in Egypt, with others scheduled for Jordan and Lebanon, An added.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Additionally, the U.S. fight against the Islamic State is taking on a new form since the military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s rise to power. U.S. officials have warned about the possibility of the Taliban providing a safe refuge for terror groups to reconstitute.
ISIS-Khorasan, the Islamic State branch based in Afghanistan, could conduct an international attack within six months to a year, Dr. Colin H. Kahl, undersecretary of Defense for Policy, told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week.
