Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in the United States on Saturday for an official visit, during which Washington aims to enlist Damascus in the global coalition against ISIL, also known as ISIS, state media reported.

Al-Sharaa’s arrival coincided with Syria’s Ministry of Interior announcing a “large-scale security operation” targeting ISIL cells across the country. The operations, carried out in Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs, and the Damascus countryside, involved 61 raids that led to at least 71 arrests and the seizure of explosives and weapons, according to the ministry. Syrian state media described the campaign as part of “ongoing national efforts to combat terrorism and protect public safety.”

Al-Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last year, is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Analysts noted this is the first visit by a Syrian president to the US since the country’s independence in 1946.

The Syrian leader, who had previously met Trump in Riyadh in May, was removed from a US “terrorist” sanctions list on Friday. US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said earlier that al-Sharaa is expected to sign an agreement to join the US-led international alliance against ISIL.

Washington is also preparing to establish a military presence at a Damascus airbase to facilitate a security pact being brokered between Syria and Israel.

Al-Sharaa is anticipated to seek international funds to aid Syria’s reconstruction after 13 years of civil war, with the World Bank estimating the cost could reach at least $216 billion.

Once a leader of Syria’s al-Qaeda offshoot, al-Sharaa’s group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), broke away from the network a decade ago and later clashed with ISIL. The group was delisted as a terrorist organization by the US in July.

Al-Sharaa’s Washington visit follows his historic address to the UN General Assembly in September, marking his first visit to US soil in decades. On Thursday, the UN Security Council voted to lift sanctions against him.

With inputs from AL Zazeera