Syria says its forces have taken over al-Tanf base after handover from US

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian government forces have taken control of a base in the east of the country that was run for years by U.S. troops as part of the war against the Islamic State group, the Defense Ministry said in a statement Thursday.

The al-Tanf base sits on a strategic location close to the borders with Jordan and Iraq. In a terse statement, the Syrian Defense Ministry said the handover of the base took place in coordination with the U.S. military and Syrian forces are now “securing the base and its perimeters.”

The U.S. Central Command said in a statement that troops have completed “the orderly departure” from al-Tanf base on Wednesday.

It said that the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, established by the U.S. Central Command in 2014, has advised, assisted and enabled partner forces in the fight against IS. It added that in April last year, the Defense Department announced the U.S. military would begin consolidating its locations in Syria after the territorial defeat of IS almost seven years ago.

“U.S. forces remain poised to respond to any IS threats that arise in the region as we support partner-led efforts to prevent the terrorist network’s resurgence,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “Maintaining pressure on ISIS is essential to protecting the U.S. homeland and strengthening regional security.”

The command said that over the past two months, U.S. forces have struck more than 100 targets with over 350 precision munitions while capturing or killing more than 50 IS members.

The Syrian Defense Ministry also said that Syrian troops are now in place in the desert area around the al-Tanf garrison, with border guards to deploy in the coming days.

The deployment of Syrian troops at al-Tanf and in the surrounding areas comes after last month’s deal between the government and the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, to merge into the military.

Al-Tanf garrison was repeatedly attacked over the past years with drones by Iran-backed groups but such attacks have dropped sharply following the fall of Bashar Assad’s government in Syria in December 2024 when insurgent groups marched into his seat of power in Damascus.

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been expanding his control of the country, and last month government forces captured wide parts of northeast Syria after deadly clashes with the SDF. A ceasefire was later reached between the two sides.

Al-Tanf base played a major role in the fight against the Islamic State group that declared a caliphate in large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014. IS was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later.

Over the past weeks, the U.S. military began transferring thousands of IS prisoners from prisons run by the SDF in northeastern Syria to Iraq, where they will be prosecuted.

The number of U.S. troops posted in Syria has changed over the years.

The number of U.S. troops increased to more than 2,000 after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas in Israel, as Iranian-backed militants targeted American troops and interests in the region in response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

The force has since been drawn back down to around 900.

Associated Press journalist Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.

叙利亚大马士革——叙利亚国防部周四发表声明称，叙利亚政府军已控制了该国东部的一个基地，该基地多年来一直由美军在打击伊斯兰国组织的战争中运营。

坦夫基地地理位置优越，靠近约旦和伊拉克边境。叙利亚国防部在一份简短声明中表示，基地移交工作是在与美军协调下进行的，叙利亚部队目前正在“确保基地及其周边安全”。

美国中央司令部在一份声明中表示，部队已于周三完成从坦夫基地的“有序撤离”。

声明称，由美国中央司令部于2014年成立的“联合特遣部队——坚定决心行动”一直在打击“伊斯兰国”的战斗中为伙伴部队提供咨询、协助和支持。声明还补充说，去年4月，美国国防部宣布，在“伊斯兰国”近七年前被彻底击败后，美军将开始巩固其在叙利亚的驻军位置。

“美军随时准备应对该地区出现的任何伊斯兰国威胁，同时支持伙伴国主导的防止该恐怖网络死灰复燃的努力，”中央司令部司令布拉德·库珀海军上将表示。“持续向伊斯兰国施压对于保护美国本土和加强地区安全至关重要。”

该指挥部表示，在过去的两个月里，美军使用超过 350 枚精确制导弹药打击了 100 多个目标，同时抓获或击毙了 50 多名“伊斯兰国”成员。

叙利亚国防部还表示，叙利亚军队目前已部署在坦夫驻军周围的沙漠地区，边防部队将在未来几天内部署到位。

叙利亚政府军在坦夫及其周边地区部署兵力，此前上个月，叙利亚政府与美国支持、库尔德人领导的叙利亚民主力量（SDF）达成协议，将SDF并入叙利亚军队。

过去几年，阿尔坦夫驻军屡遭伊朗支持的武装组织用无人机袭击，但自2024年12月叙利亚巴沙尔·阿萨德政府垮台后，此类袭击急剧减少，当时叛乱组织进军大马士革的权力中心。

叙利亚临时总统艾哈迈德·沙拉一直在扩大其对国家的控制范围。上个月，政府军在与叙利亚民主力量（SDF）发生致命冲突后，占领了叙利亚东北部的大片地区。随后双方达成停火协议。

坦夫基地在打击伊斯兰国组织的战斗中发挥了重要作用。伊斯兰国组织于 2014 年在叙利亚和伊拉克的大片地区宣布建立哈里发国。伊斯兰国于 2017 年在伊拉克被击败，两年后在叙利亚被击败。

过去几周，美军开始将数千名“伊斯兰国”囚犯从叙利亚东北部由叙利亚民主力量（SDF）运营的监狱转移到伊拉克，他们将在那里接受审判。

多年来，驻叙利亚美军人数发生了变化。

2023 年 10 月 7 日，哈马斯在以色列发动袭击后，美军人数增加到 2000 多人。此前，伊朗支持的武装分子为报复以色列轰炸加沙，袭击了该地区的美军和利益。

该部队的人员规模已缩减至900人左右。

美联社驻贝鲁特记者巴塞姆·姆鲁埃对本报道亦有贡献。