The al-Tanf military outpost in southern Syria is seen on Oct. 22, 2018. (Lolita Baldor/AP File)
Syrian government forces have taken control of a long-held U.S. military base in the eastern part of the country, Syrian and American officials said Thursday.
U.S. Central Command said it had completed the orderly departure of troops from al-Tanf Garrison on Wednesday as part of a “deliberate and conditions-based” transition of its anti-ISIS mission.
“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,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, in a statement. “Maintaining pressure on ISIS is essential to protecting the U.S. homeland and strengthening regional security.”
Al-Tanf is strategically located along the borders of Iraq and Jordan, and for years was an important hub for the U.S. military’s campaign against the Islamic State. ISIS was defeated in Syria in 2019, and the U.S. currently leads an international coalition that seeks to prevent a resurgence in the country.
The U.S. maintains about 1,000 troops in Syria, primarily as part of those anti-ISIS efforts.
Two U.S. soldiers and an American translator were killed in December when a gunman with ties to ISIS fired on troops who were working with Syrian security forces in Palmyra. The gunman was killed on site, and U.S. officials vowed swift retribution for the attack. Since then, CENTCOM forces have struck more than 100 targets and captured or killed more than 50 ISIS terrorists, according to the command.
The Syrian Defense Ministry said Thursday units of the Syrian Arab Army have secured the facility and its perimeter and started deploying its troops in the nearby desert regions along the borders with Iraq and Jordan, according to SANA.
The handoff also comes after a month of heightened tensions between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces — a longtime U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS. Late last month, U.S. Central Command said it planned to move thousands of Islamic State detainees from Syria to secure locations in Iraq, citing concerns about a breakout.
American troops at al-Tanf had endured repeated drone attacks from Iran-backed militia groups in recent years. The deadly 2024 attack on Tower 22, which killed three U.S. soldiers and injured 47 others, occurred about 12 miles from the al-Tanf garrison.
Such attacks from Iranian-backed militias have dropped off sharply since the overthrow of Bashar Assad’s government more than a year ago, according to The Associated Press.
