The Syria Free Army (SFA), a US-backed militant group being trained inside Washington’s Al-Tanf base in eastern Syria, appointed a former ISIS chief as their commander on 29 February.

“Today, the Syrian Free Army conducted a change of command and welcomed a new commander of the SFA. We thank COL Farid al-Qasim for 16 months of dedicated service to the SFA, the local community, and the 55-kilometer area,” the SFA said on Thursday via its Facebook page.

Between 2015 and 2017, Antari took part in the ISIS takeover of Palmyra and the battles with the Syrian army that ensued. The ISIS assault on Palmyra destroyed some of Syria’s most cherished cultural heritage.

The US army has been training these militants inside Al-Tanf under the pretext of confronting ISIS.

However, ISIS cells have been highly active in the Syrian desert, which is geographically linked to the 55-kilometer area surrounding the Al-Tanf base. Syrian and Russian officials have repeatedly accused Washington of providing logistical support to ISIS in these areas.