US Forces Withdraw From Syria Al-Tanf Base

[Abdulwahid]

US forces have withdrawn from Syria's Al-Tanf base and relocated to Jordan, according to two Syrian military sources who spoke to AFP on Wednesday. The base had been used as part of the international coalition's operations against the Daesh group. One source confirmed that the American forces fully departed from Al-Tanf and moved to another base in Jordan, while Syrian government forces were deployed to take their place.

A second Syrian military source also confirmed the withdrawal, noting that the United States had been transferring military equipment from the base over the past 15 days. The source added that although troops had left Syrian territory at Al-Tanf, they would continue coordinating operations related to the base from Jordan.

During Syria's prolonged civil war and the campaign against Daesh, US troops were stationed in the Kurdish-controlled northeast as well as at Al-Tanf, which is strategically located near the Syrian borders with Jordan and Iraq. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) served as a key ally to the US-led coalition and played a central role in defeating Daesh territorially in Syria in 2019.

However, the political landscape shifted following the fall of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar Assad more than a year ago. Since then, the United States has gradually strengthened ties with the new government in Damascus. American officials recently indicated that their strategic partnership with Kurdish forces was no longer as essential as it had been during the peak of the anti-Daesh campaign.

Syria formally agreed to join the international coalition against Daesh after President Ahmed Al-Sharaa visited the White House in November. As the new authorities in Damascus work to reestablish control across the country, Kurdish forces have faced increasing pressure to integrate their military units and autonomous administration into the Syrian state structure. Last month, they reached an agreement to do so after losing territory to advancing government forces.

In parallel, the United States has launched an operation to transfer approximately 7,000 suspected jihadists from Syria to neighboring Iraq. Many of these individuals had been detained in facilities overseen by Kurdish fighters. The transfer comes amid broader security adjustments following territorial and political changes in the region.

Although Daesh no longer controls territory in Syria, the group continues to pose a threat. In December, a lone gunman attacked American personnel in Palmyra, killing two US soldiers and one US civilian. In response, Washington carried out retaliatory airstrikes targeting Daesh positions within Syria.

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