U.S. Withdraws From Al-Tanf; Syrian Forces Take Control
CENTCOM said U.S. forces completed an orderly departure on Feb. 11 and Syrian Arab Army units moved into al-Tanf near Syria's borders with Jordan and Iraq.
Overview
U.S. Central Command said it completed the orderly departure of U.S. forces from al-Tanf Garrison on Feb. 11, and the Syrian Defense Ministry said Syrian Arab Army units moved in to secure the base.
Al-Tanf sits near the intersection of Syria, Jordan and Iraq and was held by the U.S.-led coalition since 2014, playing a major role in the fight against the Islamic State until the group's territorial defeat in Syria in 2019.
CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said U.S. forces remain poised to respond to ISIS threats, and the Syrian Defense Ministry said the handover was coordinated with U.S. officials.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces struck over 100 targets with 350 precision munitions and captured or killed over 50 ISIS fighters, and U.S. troop levels fell from over 2,000 after Oct. 7, 2023 to about 900.
Syrian forces said they have begun deploying along the Syrian-Iraqi-Jordan border and will be joined by border guards, while U.S. forces have transferred Islamic State detainees to Iraq in numbers ranging from 150 to thousands.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this account neutrally, relying on official statements and contextual facts rather than evaluative language. They cite the Syrian Defense Ministry and U.S. Central Command, report troop movements, strike tallies, and historical context (al-Tanf’s role, IS defeat), offering multiple perspectives without emotive framing or selective omission.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Al-Tanf is located at the tri-border area of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq, used by the U.S.-led coalition since 2014 to fight ISIS, monitor Iran-backed groups, and conduct surveillance across hundreds of kilometers.
U.S. forces completed an orderly departure from al-Tanf on February 11, 2026, after which Syrian Arab Army units moved in to secure the base in coordination with U.S. officials.
U.S. forces struck over 100 ISIS targets with 350 precision munitions, capturing or killing over 50 ISIS fighters, and transferred over 5,700 ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq in a 23-day mission ending February 13, 2026.
The withdrawal follows agreements integrating U.S.-backed Kurdish-led SDF/YPG forces into Syrian government structures, a November 2025 White House meeting between Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and President Trump, and a U.S. troop reduction from over 2,000 to about 900 after October 2023.
CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper stated U.S. forces remain poised to respond to ISIS threats and will continue supporting regional partners to prevent the group's resurgence.
History
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