Shafaq News- Damascus
Syria’s Defense Ministry on Thursday confirmed that government forces have taken control of the Al-Tanf base near the Syria–Iraq–Jordan border after the withdrawal of the US-led Coalition.
In a statement, the ministry said the handover was coordinated between Syrian and US forces, with Syrian army units securing the base and its perimeter. Border Guard forces will assume operational control and expand deployment in the coming days.
Syrian media earlier reported that Coalition convoys left Al-Tanf and moved toward Jordan, ending years of US military presence at the tri-border outpost. The base had operated within a 55-kilometer security zone established by US and allied forces to block former president Bashar Al-Assad's government and allied units from the area.
Days earlier, the Coalition also evacuated the Al-Shaddadi base in Hasakah province, along with the Kharab Al-Jir and Qasrak sites, marking a broader drawdown in northeastern Syria. Al-Shaddadi recently came under Syrian government control after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew toward Hasakah.
In January, The Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump’s administration was considering scaling back or fully withdrawing US troops from Syria following close encounters between Syrian government forces and US positions during operations involving the SDF.