Syrian Army takes over al-Tanf base in South
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Syria’s Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday that army units have taken over the al-Tanf military base in southern Syria and secured the facility and its surroundings, following what it described as coordination with the United States.
In a statement published through its official channels, the ministry said the handover of the base was carried out “through coordination between the Syrian side and the American side.” It added that army units had begun deploying along the Syrian-Iraqi-Jordanian border in the al-Tanf desert area.
The announcement came a day after Reuters cited two security sources as saying that US forces had evacuated al-Tanf military base in southeastern Syria to Jordan.
The al-Tanf base was established in 2016 by US forces and the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS within the 55-kilometer deconfliction zone east of Homs, near the tri-border area between Syria, Jordan and Iraq. The base played a role in coalition operations against ISIS and in monitoring movements across the desert border region.
According to the Syrian Defense Ministry, “border guard forces within the Ministry of Defense will begin assuming their duties and deploying in the area in the coming days.”
No further details were provided regarding the number of troops involved or the exact timeline of the US withdrawal.
The Syrian Ministry of Defense did not specify whether any equipment or facilities at al-Tanf would remain under joint arrangements, nor did it comment on future coordination mechanisms in the border region.