Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa has arrived in Washington for an official visit, just two days after the US formally revoked his status as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
The former Islamist militant will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, 11 months after his rebel alliance ousted Bashar al-Assad.
Hours before his arrival in the US capital it was announced that Syrian security services had detained dozens of suspected members of the so-called Islamic State group.
Joint efforts to tackle what remains of the group in Syria are expected to be high on the agenda during Sharaa’s talks with Trump.
Syrian authorities said 71 suspected members of the group were arrested, with weapons and explosives also seized.
Since taking power, Sharaa has looked to reestablish Syria’s presence on the world stage after decades of isolation under the Assad regime and 13 years of civil war.
