The transfer, in coordination with the US, is the newest implementation of the ceasefire settlement with Kurdish-led forces.
Printed On 15 Feb 2026
The Syrian military has taken over the al-Shaddadi army base within the northeast of the nation following the withdrawal of United States troops, as a part of a ceasefire association with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Syria’s Ministry of Defence introduced on Sunday that “forces of the Syrian Arab Military have taken over the al-Shaddadi army base within the Hasakah countryside following coordination with the American facet”.
The US had been working in al-Shadaddi since 2016, after Kurdish-led forces seized it from ISIL (ISIS). On Thursday, the Syrian military additionally took management of the US base of al-Tanf, close to the border with Iraq and Jordan.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed reporters that the implementation of the ceasefire settlement was “headed in a optimistic course”.
“There’s been some days which have been very regarding, however we just like the trajectory,” he mentioned. “Now we have to maintain it on that trajectory. We’ve obtained good agreements in place. The important thing now’s implementation, and we’ll be very concerned in that regard.”
He famous that related agreements wanted to be reached with the Druze, Bedouin and Alawite communities within the nation.
“We predict that final result, as troublesome because it’s been, is much better than the Syria that might have been damaged up into eight items, with all types of preventing happening, all types of mass migration, so we really feel very optimistic about that.”
Diminished US presence
Reporting from Aleppo, Al Jazeera correspondent Heidi Pett mentioned residents close to al-Shaddadi mentioned in latest days that they had been listening to “explosions and seeing fires on the base as People destroy remaining materials as a result of they’ve been making ready to depart there for plenty of weeks”.
“That is a part of a broader change in US technique within the area shifting in the direction of partnering straight with the Syrian authorities,” she mentioned.
The US has been decreasing its army footprint in Syria for months, going from 1,500 personnel in July to about 900 presently.
It has been consolidating its floor presence to Tower 22 in Jordan, though it continues to hold out air strikes on ISIL targets in Syria, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) saying it had performed 10 air strikes on 30 targets throughout the February 3-12 interval, and killed or captured greater than 50 individuals in two months.
CENTCOM’s commander Admiral Brad Cooper mentioned in an announcement that US forces would “stay poised to answer any [ISIS] threats that come up”.
