Large-scale withdrawal of US forces in Syria, amid Hol camp evacuation
United States forces in Syria began withdrawing from a major base in the northeast on Monday, with sources, cited by AFP, indicating that the withdrawal is expected to be completed within a month.
The movement follows recent agreements between Kurdish forces and the Damascus government, under which Kurdish units have ceded territory and agreed to integrate into Syrian state structures.
According to AFP, American troops have already departed from two other bases in recent weeks, including al-Tanf in the southeast and al-Shadadi in the northeast. A Syrian government official stated, “Within a month, they will have withdrawn from Syria and there will no longer be any military presence in the bases,” a timeline confirmed by a Kurdish source and corroborated by a diplomat who projected completion within 20 days.
The United States currently maintains roughly 1,000 troops in Syria. The withdrawal began at the al-Qasrak base in the al-Hasakah province, which remains under Kurdish control. AFP reporters observed a convoy of dozens of trucks carrying armored vehicles and prefabricated structures traveling along the road from al-Qasrak toward the Iraqi border.
Large relocation to Iraqi Kurdistan
Activists from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that this withdrawal represents the largest military movement of the week, with over 100 trucks moving under heavy US helicopter cover toward the al-Waleed border crossing connecting Syria and Iraq’s Kurdistan region. This is the second convoy to leave the base in recent days, suggesting a phased plan of withdrawal possibly extending over two months.
Despite the drawdown, the Observatory noted that some coalition positions remain intact, including a significant presence at the Khirbat Gir base in the Rmelan area, where cargo flights continue, indicating a redeployment of forces across the eastern Euphrates region. Earlier reports documented a similar convoy of nearly 100 trucks entering al-Qasrak from Iraqi Kurdistan on February 21 before leaving via al-Waleed as part of accelerated evacuation operations.
Evacuation of camp holding ISIS family members
In parallel, the Iraqi National Security Advisory confirmed the complete evacuation of the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, home to families of ISIS members. Strategic Affairs Advisor Saeed al-Jiyashi said over 5,600 families, approximately 22,000 individuals, have been relocated under a coordinated security and humanitarian plan, with 32 batches completed and only one remaining. Four technical groups, including the Supreme Judicial Council and the ministries of Migration and Labor, oversee the relocated families’ welfare, legal matters, and integration programs.
Hol camp had housed roughly 24,000 people, including nearly 15,000 Syrians and over 6,300 foreign women and children from 42 countries, many of whom face reluctance from their home states to be repatriated. Reports indicate that its population has significantly declined in recent weeks.
The withdrawal of US forces marks a historic shift in Syria’s northeast, as Damascus consolidates control and the anti-ISIS coalition ends its prolonged military presence in the region.
