U.S. to withdraw 1,000 troops from Syria within months
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The United States is planning to withdraw approximately 1,000 remaining troops from Syria over the next two months, U.S. officials told CBS News on Wednesday, marking the end of nearly a decade-long American military presence in the country.
Earlier this year, U.S. forces departed the al-Tanf garrison in southern Syria and the Shaddadi base in the northeast. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report that the remaining troops are expected to leave.
A senior U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday that the withdrawal is part of a “deliberate and conditions-based transition.”
“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,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official added that a large-scale U.S. presence is “no longer required in Syria given the Syrian government’s willingness to take primary responsibility for combating the terrorist threat within its borders.”
The move effectively ends Washington’s direct military footprint in Syria that began in 2014 as part of the international coalition campaign against the Islamic State group, known as ISIS.
The U.S. military first deployed forces to Syria in 2014 under the framework of Operation Inherent Resolve, a multinational effort led by Washington to defeat ISIS following its rapid territorial expansion across Syria and Iraq.
At its peak, ISIS controlled vast areas in both countries, including Raqqa, which served as the group’s de facto capital. U.S. troops worked closely with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to dismantle the group’s territorial control. In March 2019, ISIS lost its last territorial enclave in Baghuz.
Despite the territorial defeat, U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that ISIS remains capable of insurgent attacks, particularly in Syria’s northeast and central desert regions.
The future security architecture in those areas remains a key concern for regional and international actors.