Last convoy of US troopers and gear departs Qasrak air base within the northeastern governorate of Hasakah.
Printed On 16 Apr 2026
Syria has taken full management of all navy websites the place US forces had beforehand been deployed, finishing a handover that Damascus says displays the profitable absorption of Kurdish-led fighters into nationwide buildings.
The announcement on Thursday comes after the ultimate convoy of US troopers and gear departed Qasrak air base, positioned within the northeastern governorate of Hasakah, ending a navy presence that started in 2014 when US forces entered the combat in opposition to ISIL (ISIS) alongside Kurdish fighters who went on to steer what turned generally known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa obtained the 2 most senior figures within the SDF, its navy commander, Mazloum Abdi, and the top of its political wing, Ilham Ahmad, in Damascus on Thursday.
Overseas Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and the presidential envoy overseeing the mixing course of have been additionally current.
Syria’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the finished handover of the bases, saying it mirrored the federal government’s efforts to convey the nation below a single state authority, together with border areas and the northeast, which had lengthy operated exterior Damascus’s management.
The ministry mentioned the switch had been carried out in full coordination with the US, pointing to what it described as a constructive relationship that has developed since al-Sharaa met US President Donald Trump on the White Home in November.
US Central Command, which is answerable for US troops within the Center East, informed the information company AFP that US forces “have accomplished turning over all of our main bases in Syria as a part of a deliberate and conditions-based transition”.
The handover follows a deal struck in January between Damascus and the SDF, which had ruled giant swaths of northern and jap Syria with tacit US backing.
Syrian authorities forces fought a quick battle with the SDF and seized management of a lot of the territory the group managed earlier than either side got here to a brand new settlement in March.
Underneath that deal, Kurdish fighters are being introduced into the Syrian nationwide military, Syrian safety forces have deployed to the town centres of Hasakah and Qamishli, and management of border crossings and civilian establishments has transferred to Damascus.
Syria joined the worldwide coalition in opposition to ISIL in November, a milestone that recast Damascus as a associate slightly than an impediment and basically altered the rationale for a continued US navy presence in Syria.
In keeping with Syria analyst Charles Lister, the final troopers and gear have been routed overland by means of Jordan slightly than Iraq to scale back publicity to potential assaults by Iranian-backed armed teams working within the area.
