The United States has withdrawn approximately 500 troops from its bases in Syria in recent weeks, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to Fox News on Monday, 2 June. The move signals a notable shift in Washington’s military posture in the country, where it has maintained a strategic presence for over a decade.
Citing senior national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin, Fox News reported that U.S. forces have vacated three military sites in Syria, transferring one of them to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Among the affected sites is the Green Village mission support facility at the Conoco gas field in Deir ez-Zor, which has been fully shut down. Another key location, the Euphrates support base near the al-Omar oil field, was handed over to the SDF, while a third site was completely evacuated.
The drawdown follows an earlier announcement by the U.S. Department of Defense on 18 April, in which Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed plans to reduce American troop numbers in Syria by nearly half in the coming months. At the time, Parnell stated that the U.S. military presence would fall to under 1,000 personnel—down from a force of roughly 2,000.
Continued Support for the SDF
American forces first entered northeastern Syria in 2014 as part of an 80-nation international coalition established to combat the Islamic State (ISIS). Since then, U.S. troops have operated in close coordination with the Kurdish-led SDF, providing military assistance and strategic backing in the fight against the extremist group.
This joint campaign enabled the SDF—with U.S. support—to establish control over large swathes of northeastern Syria, and to maintain a significant garrison in the southeastern desert near the Syrian-Iraqi-Jordanian border, in the area known as al-Tanf.
In a public statement on 10 January 2025, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to retain American forces in Syria, describing their presence as vital to regional stability.
Over 30 Installations Across Syria
The U.S. military maintains a broad network of installations in Syria, most of which are concentrated in the country’s northeast. According to a September 2024 report by the Jusoor Center for Studies, the United States operates 17 formal bases and an additional 15 outposts throughout the country.
These sites are geographically distributed as follows: 17 in al-Hasakah province, 9 in Deir ez-Zor, 3 in Raqqa, and one each in Homs, Aleppo, and rural Damascus.
Key installations include:
- Conoco Gas Field: Located in eastern Deir ez-Zor, once one of the most significant American military sites in SDF-controlled territory.
- Al-Omar Oil Field: South of Conoco, serving as a major operational hub.
- al-Shaddadi Base: Situated in al-Hasakah province.
- Rmelan Base: In Syria’s northeastern corner, near the Iraqi border.
- al-Tanf Base: Strategically located in southeastern Syria near the Iraq-Jordan border and on the main highway to Damascus. It remains one of the most critical U.S. military positions in the country.
The reduction in troop levels is expected to have far-reaching implications for American policy in Syria, the security of its Kurdish partners, and the broader effort to prevent a resurgence of ISIS.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
