Top US commander visits Syria

WASHINGTON (AA) - The United States Central Command Commander, Gen. Joseph Votel, visited Syria Saturday to meet military advisers working with Syrian Arab fighters, according to his office.

Votel is the highest-ranking American military officer known to have entered the country since the U.S. began its campaign in 2014 to defeat Daesh.

A CENTCOM spokesman said in a written statement: "He did meet with U.S. military advisers working with Syrian Arab fighters and with leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces."

According to local media reports, his visit lasted for 11 hours.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh, Brett McGurk, tweeted that Votel was "preparing push to Raqqa," while Daesh leaders had been "reduced to audiotapes in the dark."

Raqqa is the self-proclaimed capital of Daesh in Syria.