Syrian army takes charge of military base long controlled by US

Sherif Tarek, Bloomberg News on Feb 12, 2026

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The Syrian army took control of the Al-Tanf military base from U.S. troops, ending an American military presence that lasted for a decade at a key site in the country’s southeast.

The base was established as a foothold against Islamic State and a training ground for Syrian rebels during the civil war that erupted in 2011 against dictator Bashar Assad. U.S. Central Command said on Thursday it completed “orderly departure” from the facility, near the borders of Jordan and Iraq, a day earlier.

“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,” Centcom Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in a statement. In April, the U.S. announced it would begin consolidating its locations in Syria after the territorial defeat of ISIS in 2019.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who assumed power last year after a swift uprising overthrew Assad in late 2024, agreed to join the U.S.-led coalition to defeat ISIS, earning American sanctions relief and backing to take over Kurdish-controlled northeastern areas. The country has begun deploying forces along its borders with Iraq and Jordan, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported, citing the Defense Ministry.

ISIS carried out an attack that killed two U.S. Army soldiers and an interpreter in Palmyra, Syria, in December, a sign that the group still poses a security threat in the war-torn country. U.S. forces have struck more than 100 targets while capturing or killing more than 50 ISIS militants over the past two months, Centcom said.