1. Home
2. Middle East
3. U.S. Pulls Troops From Northeastern Syria Amid SDF-Damascus Integration

The U.S. has begun its withdrawal of troops from the Shaddadi base in northeastern Syria this week as part of a broader drawdown of direct U.S. military presence in Syria. 

This event occurred amid the incorporation of civilian and security sector responsibilities to Damascus to replace the SDF and the U.S. as the primary force monitoring the region.

Local sources reported that a convoy of U.S. vehicles were spotted near the base alongside cargo and civilian trucks on Thursday, according to Al-Monitor.

When the al-Sharaa-led government in Damascus led a campaign to regain control over SDF-held territory, the United States did not publicly intervene as its decade-long Kurdish ally lost ground in January. 

In response to these developments, U.S. Syria envoy Tom Barrack stated on X that the SDF was no longer necessary for U.S. counterterrorism interests in Syria with a capable partner in Damascus. The al-Sharaa government also joined the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS in November 2025 and has shared intelligence with Washington on that front.

Following the Kurdish-led SDF’s defeat, the SDF and the Syrian government reached an integration deal to consolidate the Kurds’ military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state.

With an ally in Damascus, its reduction of military presence in the country signals its trust in the al-Sharaa government as a reliable counterterrorism actor, particularly as threats of a possible resurgence in Islamic State activity looms in the region.