Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told The Associated Press that the U.S. needs to keep troops deployed in Syria to prevent the Islamic State group from reconstituting as a major threat.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin outlines the necessity of U.S. troops in Syria to counter IS threats and stabilize the region post-Assad.

The first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad landed Tuesday at the Damascus airport. The Qatar Airways flight landed at Damascus International Airport,

The country’s new leaders are pushing to restore a sense of normalcy. But Syria remains under a host of international sanctions imposed during the Assad regime.