U.S. partner forces in Syria are holding two suspected Islamic State militants believed to be the remaining members of a cell that held and in some cases executed Western hostages, U.S. officials said Thursday.
Elements of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-dominated group that is the United States’ main military partner in Syria, captured the two men, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, in early January in eastern Syria, two U.S. officials said.