Syria Takes Control of Base After Coalition Withdrawal

The Syrian army has taken control of a military base in northeastern Syria after coalition forces withdrew from the site, according to the Syrian Ministry of Defense.

The base, located in the Rmelan area of Hasakah province, was handed over to the Syrian Arab Army following the departure of troops from the international coalition formed to combat ISIS and led by the United States.

In recent months, Syrian authorities have expanded their presence in parts of northeastern Syria that were previously under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The shift followed clashes between the two sides that ultimately resulted in an agreement to integrate the institutions of the Kurdish autonomous administration into the Syrian state.

The agreement, reached earlier this year, outlines a gradual integration of both civil and military structures of the self-administration into national institutions. The development marks a major change in the balance of power in northeastern Syria, where Kurdish forces had maintained a high level of autonomy during years of conflict.

The Syrian government has also formally joined the international coalition against ISIS, while US forces have withdrawn from several bases across the country over the past month.

During February, US troops withdrew from the Al-Tanf base near the Syrian-Iraqi border, as well as from a facility near the town of Al-Shaddadi that previously held a prison where Kurdish forces detained ISIS fighters. Government forces later advanced into the area. American troops also began withdrawing from another base in Hasakah province.

The US tes deployed troops in Syria and Iraq in 2014 as part of the international coalition formed to fight ISIS after the group seized large territories in both countries. ISIS was eventually defeated in its last strongholds in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019.

As part of the recent political agreement, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed Kurdish leader Siban Hamo as an assistant to the defense minister earlier this week, reflecting efforts to implement the integration deal between Damascus and Kurdish authorities.