The United States has decided to undergo a phased withdrawal of its remaining 1,000 troops stationed in Syria.
According to reports citing US officials on Wednesday (February 18), the process is expected to be completed within the next two months.
The report indicates that Washington has been gradually reducing its military footprint in Syria over recent months.
Under the latest decision, the U.S. believes a significant military presence is no longer necessary, as the YPG/SDF alliance—the local partner in the fight against ISIS (Daesh)—has effectively disbanded and integrated into the Syrian state structure.
Consequently, the primary objective of neutralizing ISIS through local allies is considered nearly complete.
Strategic Base Closures
Key movements in the withdrawal process have already been noted:
Al-Tanf: US forces have already vacated this critical base located at the border junction of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq.
Al-Shaddadi: The withdrawal from this base in northeastern Syria was completed earlier this month.
Regional Context and Tensions
Officials clarified that this troop withdrawal is not directly linked to ongoing US naval and air deployments in the Middle East.
Those assets remain in place as a deterrent should nuclear negotiations with Iran fail. Iran has issued warnings that it is prepared to strike US interests across the region if attacked.
A senior US official stated that the Syrian government is now assuming responsibility for counter-terrorism operations.
However, the United States remains prepared to respond rapidly should there be any signs of an ISIS resurgence.
Divergent Views on Stability
The decision has met with mixed reactions from international officials:
Concerns: Some US and foreign officials fear that the vacuum left by the withdrawal could destabilize current ceasefires and provide ISIS an opportunity to regroup.
Alternative View: Others argue that the remaining troops served a primarily symbolic political purpose, with their actual role in counter-terrorism operations having become increasingly limited.
Source: Anadolu Agency
