US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday told Turkiye it was “imperative” to work against a resurgence of the militant Islamic State (IS) group in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

His remarks came after meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara on the second leg of his Syria crisis tour following the fall of Assad’s government.

“Our country worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS (IS), to ensure that that threat doesn’t rear its head again,” Blinken said at a joint press conference.

“And it’s imperative that we keep at those efforts.”

In response, Fidan told him Turkiye was committed to ensuring stability in Syria “as soon as possible” and preventing fighters from gaining a foothold there.

“Our priorities include ensuring stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and preventing ISIS and the PKK from dominating there,” he said, referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has fought a decades-long insurgency against Turkiye.

Blinken also discussed the matter with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he flew in on Thursday night, with the pair meeting for more than an hour inside Ankara airport, a US official said.

Erdogan assured him that Turkiye would never ease up in the fight against IS fighters in Syria, despite its operations against Kurdish fighters seen as key to containing the extremists.

“Turkiye will never allow any weakness to arise in the fight against ISIS,” Erdogan told him.

US grand jury charges former Syrian prison official with torture

Separately, a federal grand jury in Los Angeles charged a former Syrian government official who headed the Damascus Central Prison from 2005 to 2008 with torture, the US Justice Department said.

Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 72, headed the Adra prison, as it is colloquially known, during that period, allegedly ordering subordinates to inflict severe physical and mental pain and suffering on political and other prisoners, the department said.

He was sometimes personally involved in such incidents, the department added in its statement.

Reuters could not immediately contact Alsheikh to seek comment.

The torture aimed to deter opposition to the regime Assad, the department said, adding that Alsheikh later allegedly lied about his crimes to obtain a US “green card”, or residence permit.

Alsheikh, who allegedly held positions in the Syrian police and the state security apparatus, was associated with the ruling Syrian Ba’ath Party and was appointed governor of the province of Deir Ez-Zour by Assad in 2011.

A superseding indictment returned today alleged that Alsheikh immigrated to the United States in 2020 and applied for citizenship in 2023.

The indictment added three counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture to charges of visa fraud and attempted naturalisation fraud that figured in an initial indictment against Alsheikh in August.

In a separate US indictment unsealed on Monday, two former high-ranking Syrian intelligence officials under Assad were charged with war crimes.

These included conspiracy to mete out cruel and inhuman treatment to civilian detainees, including US citizens, during the Syrian civil war that began in 2011.

Chartered flight from Lebanon brings home 318 Pakistan nationals

On the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a chartered plane carrying 318 Pakistani nationals who were repatriated from Syria to Beirut, Lebanon a day earlier, landed here early today.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik received the repatriated nationals at the Islamabad International Airport.

Under the personal supervision of the premier, the comprehensive plan for the safe evacuation was carried out by NDMA in collaboration with the foreign office.

In a statement, the prime minister said the safe return from Syria was a top priority of the government.

He appreciated the prompt action taken by the FO, the Pakistani embassies in Syria and Lebanon, and the NDMA authorities in ensuring the safe return of citizens.

He also expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, whose government provided all possible cooperation and assistance for the return via Beirut. The Lebanese government also arranged buses for the transfer of passengers.

PM Sharif also directed the authorities concerned to continue taking immediate steps to evacuate more citizens from Syria.

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis has set up a special desk at the airport to facilitate the returning Pakistani citizens, besides providing them with transport facility to take them.

Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Iqbal said the evacuation via Beirut was made possible by the premier’s tireless efforts, which included daily review meetings for the evacuation of Pakistanis stranded in Syria.

He said that the prime minister also spoke with the prime minister of Lebanon to facilitate the evacuation, while Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar contacted the Turkish Foreign Minister for the purpose.

Following the prime minister’s directives for the early and safe evacuation, a plan of action had been formulated on an emergency basis as he had directed the relevant authorities to utilise all available resources for the purpose.

The minister said all possible steps were being taken for the safe evacuation from Syria, adding that the protection of the lives and property in Syria was the government’s priority.

He informed the media that an information desk and a helpline had also been set up at the Pakistan Embassy in Damascus. Additionally, the crisis management unit and the embassy’s information desk will remain active round the clock until the law and order situation improves there.

“These all-out arrangements and facilitation show that the government will never leave the Pakistani citizens alone wherever they are in trouble. We share the joys and sorrows of our countrymen,” Ahsan Iqbal remarked.