US forces begin withdrawing from key base in Syria

HASAKAH - US military forces have started withdrawing from a major base in northeastern Syria as part of a broader plan to pull out nearly all remaining approximately 1,000 troops from the country. The move from Qasr al-Sur base in Hasakah, the largest US facility there, signals the end of America's decade-long presence aimed at combating the Islamic State (IS).

Reports indicate the full exit could complete within 20-30 days, with personnel and equipment relocating toward Iraqi Kurdistan. Syrian officials, Kurdish sources, and diplomats confirmed the process began Monday, February 23, 2026, following recent departures from al-Tanf near the Iraq-Jordan border. This "conditions-based transition" hands primary anti-IS duties to the Syrian government under President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

The drawdown aligns with Damascus integrating Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into state structures post a ceasefire, reducing the need for US support after IS's territorial defeat. It fulfills President Trump's long-stated goal, unrelated to heightened US deployments elsewhere against Iran threats. Bases like al-Tanf, used since 2016, are now Syrian-controlled.