US prepares full withdrawal from Syria within weeks, sources say

The United States is preparing to withdraw all of its forces from Syria within approximately one month, according to three sources who spoke to the French news agency Agence France-Presse.

The move would mark the end of a military presence that has lasted nearly 12 years in the country’s north-east, where American troops have led the international coalition against the so-called Islamic State group.

A Syrian government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that “US forces will withdraw from Syria within a month, and there will be no military presence left on the ground”.

A diplomatic source in Damascus suggested the process could be completed in as little as 20 days, indicating that Washington does not intend to maintain any military bases on Syrian territory.

Equipment withdrawal under way

A Kurdish source familiar with coalition movements said that international coalition forces would conclude their deployment in northern and eastern Syria within three to five weeks.

The same source revealed that military vehicles and logistical equipment have already begun to be withdrawn from the Qasrak base — regarded as a central hub for coalition operations — towards neighbouring Iraq.

In the coming days, additional convoys carrying military hardware, logistical supplies, radar systems and missile equipment are expected to depart from the two remaining bases in the region: Qasrak and Kharab al-Jir, located in the countryside of Rmeilan in al-Hasakah province.

Shifting control on the ground

The development follows Washington’s gradual relinquishment of several bases, coinciding with advances by Syrian government forces into areas previously controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The SDF, which received sustained US backing for years in the fight against Islamic State, recently agreed to integrate its forces and institutions into those of the Syrian state.

Over the past fortnight, US forces have withdrawn from the al-Tanf base, situated near the tri-border area between Syria, Jordan and Iraq, as well as from a base on the outskirts of al-Shaddadi in the north-east. The latter had housed a detention facility where Kurdish forces held suspected Islamic State fighters before Syrian government troops advanced into the area last month.

For years, the international coalition used al-Shaddadi and al-Tanf as launch points for air strikes against Islamic State strongholds across Syria.

However, a diplomatic source indicated that Washington may retain the option of conducting aerial operations against the group from military installations elsewhere in the region, even after its ground forces depart.

If confirmed, the withdrawal would represent a significant shift in the balance of power in north-east Syria, potentially reshaping security arrangements and regional dynamics at a delicate juncture in the country’s protracted conflict.