The Al-Tanf garrison had long functioned as a critical center for US-led operations against IS terrorists and was utilized to train opposition fighters
Syrian government forces have taken control of a strategic military base in the country’s east following the withdrawal of American troops, who had been illegally stationed there for nearly a decade, the Defense Ministry in Damascus announced.
The Al-Tanf garrison, established in 2016, is situated at the strategic crossroads of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq along the M2 Baghdad-Damascus Highway. The base served as a key center for US-led operations against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorists, who had controlled the nearby border crossing prior to their arrival. It was used to train opposition forces.
On Thursday, the ministry released a statement noting that the handover of the base had occurred in coordination with the US military and that Syrian forces are now “securing the base and its perimeters.” Border Guard forces will deploy in the area in the coming days, it added.
Multiple media reports indicate that American troops evacuated the facility on Wednesday and moved toward the Jordanian border, from where they will continue to coordinate limited operations in the region. A source told AP they had been moving equipment out over the past 15 days.
Washington’s relations with Damascus changed after the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government in late 2024, with Assad having consistently labeled the US military presence in the country as an illegal occupation.
In November, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with US leader Donald Trump at the White House and agreed to join the anti-IS coalition. The US later lifted economic sanctions that had been in place for more than a decade.
In January, al-Sharaa also held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which centered on Syria’s reconstruction and bilateral cooperation, including Moscow’s military installations in the country.
US forces have reportedly also vacated positions in Hasakah Governorate, including the Ash Shaddadi base. Al-Tanf had been among the last American-held positions in Syria.
Last month, the Syrian authorities reached agreements with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate them into the government army. Since then, the US military began transferring thousands of alleged IS extremists from SDF-run prisons in northeastern Syria to Iraq, where they will be prosecuted.