The US military has completed the withdrawal of American troops from the al-Tanf garrison in Syria, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday.
The departure, which was completed on February 11, came as part of a broader shift in US posture in the region under Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition mission launched in 2014 to combat ISIS.
U.S. forces have maintained a limited presence in the country to support partner forces and prevent the terrorist group from re-emerging after it was territorially defeated in 2019.
Syria’s Defense Ministry said government forces took control of the al-Tanf base following the US withdrawal and began their deployment along the country’s borders with Iraq and Jordan, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency, the country’s state news agency.
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U.S. military vehicles escort passenger buses carrying Islamic State prisoners from northeastern Syria to Iraq, Feb. 8, 2026. (Str/Xinhua via Getty Images)
The ministry said the transfer was coordinated with US officials and that Syrian Arab Army units moved in to secure the base and surrounding areas in the desert region’s tri-border area.
The development follows a Pentagon decision in April 2025 to reduce and consolidate US forces in Syria.
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A satellite image shows the al-Tanf base in Syria, July 20, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC/Reuters)
“This was not only crucial during the US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State, where there was a threat of cross-border offensives and violence, but also proved key to US deterrence efforts against Iranian-backed militia networks operating in Iraq and Syria,” she said. “The US withdrawal from Al-Tanf is a signal that Washington is now comfortable with where the fight against ISIS is and with the defeat of Iran-linked proxy networks in the region, along with efforts for Syrian security integration with the [Syrian Democratic Forces].”
Rose added that the departure could be seen as a setback for Jordan, which has long depended on the US position at al-Tanf to deter adversaries in the region.
Despite the withdrawal, U.S. forces remain prepared to meet ISIS threats, CENTCOM said, noting that U.S. forces have struck more than 100 targets in the region over the past two months and captured or killed more than four dozen ISIS fighters.
Soldiers from the US-led coalition walk with members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in rural Qamishli, northeastern Syria, February 8, 2024. (Orhan Qereman/Reuters)
The change in attitude comes just weeks after US forces transferred 150 ISIS fighters from a detention center in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq.
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Officials have indicated in late January that thousands more detainees could be moved as part of the broader effort to maintain long-term security in the region.
A view of the al-Hol camp, where families linked to the Islamic State group are being held in Hasakah province, Syria, January 21, 2026. (Izz Aldien Alqasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Syria in November became the 90th member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, a US-led alliance created to coordinate international efforts against the extremist group.
Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, said Damascus – under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa – is ready to take on security responsibilities, including control of ISIS detention facilities and camps, after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
