US military forces have departed a strategic military garrison in Syria after greater than a decade “as part of a deliberate and conditions-based transition” to a smaller US footprint in the nation, US Central Command stated on Thursday.
The US troops at al-Tanf garrison had primarily been centered on anti-ISIS efforts as a part of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. The Pentagon introduced in April 2025 that it will start consolidating its presence in Syria following the territorial defeat of ISIS in 2019.
“U.S. forces remain poised to respond to any ISIS threats that arise in the region as we support partner-led efforts to prevent the terrorist network’s resurgence,” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper stated in a press release. “Maintaining pressure on ISIS is essential to protecting the U.S.
homeland and strengthening regional security.”
Syria’s protection ministry stated in a press release on Thursday that its military has now taken management of al-Tanf in coordination with the United States.
US officers have closely invested in supporting Syria’s new president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, as his authorities has labored to safe management over Syria following its profitable effort to overthrow Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Al-Sharaa beforehand led a US-designated terrorist group and till not too long ago had a $10 million US bounty on his head however has tried to transition what had been a hodgepodge resistance drive right into a governing authority in the nation.
An ISIS ambush in Palmyra in December killed two Iowa Army National Guard troopers and an American interpreter. Following the assault US officers pledged a continued deal with focusing on ISIS in the area, and as not too long ago as last week CENTCOM forces “located and destroyed an ISIS communication site, critical logistics node, and weapons storage facilities with 50 precision munitions delivered by fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned aircraft,” in line with a statement.
Syria’s military forces are presently made up of an array of fighters from completely different backgrounds and with various extremist views and affiliations, NCS has reported. But the Trump administration has made clear that it backs Al-Sharaa as Syria’s new chief, portray his extremist ties as a factor of the previous and emphasizing his partnership in focusing on ISIS in the area.
In November, Al-Sharaa grew to become the primary Syrian head of state to go to the White House. “He’s a very strong leader,” President Donald Trump instructed reporters on the time, calling Al-Sharaa “a tough guy from a tough place.” The go to got here after the US partially lifted sanctions on Syria, marking a serious shift in relations between the 2 international locations.