Top US diplomats are in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Friday to meet with representatives of “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS), more than a week after an opposition coalition ousted president Bashar al-Assad,

A US State Department spokesperson said that the top US diplomat for the Middle East, the top hostage affairs official and a senior diplomat made up the delegation.

Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Ambassador Roger Carstens, and NEA Senior Advisor Daniel Rubinstein are the first American diplomats to visit since al-Assad fled Damascus.

“They will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities, and other Syrian voices about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them,” the statement said.

It said, “they also plan to meet with representatives of “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS) to “discuss transition principles endorsed by the US and regional partners in Aqaba, Jordan.”

It said the diplomats will also “hope to uncover information about the fate of Austin Tice, Majd Kamalmaz, and other American citizens who disappeared under the Assad regime.”

The meeting will mark the first official in-person contact between US and leaders of the victorious “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS), which led the opposition coalition that ousted al-Assad.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this week that the US has received positive signs from HTS and is considering sending American officials into the country to press for a smooth political transition.

“We’ve been in direct contact, and we’re also looking at getting people on the ground in Syria,” Blinken said Thursday in an interview on “Bloomberg Surveillance.” “We need to see concrete action, not simply positive declarations.”

Officials from France, Germany and the UK also visited Damascus earlier this week.

The United States cut diplomatic ties with Syria and shut down its embassy in Damascus in 2012.

Syrian opposition forces seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing al-Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war, ending his family's decades-long rule.