The transfer, in coordination with the US, is the most recent implementation of the ceasefire settlement with Kurdish-led forces.
Revealed On 15 Feb 2026
The Syrian military has taken over the al-Shaddadi navy base within the northeast of the nation following the withdrawal of United States troops, as a part of a ceasefire association with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Syria’s Ministry of Defence introduced on Sunday that “forces of the Syrian Arab Military have taken over the al-Shaddadi navy base within the Hasakah countryside following coordination with the American facet”.
The US had been working in al-Shadaddi since 2016, after Kurdish-led forces seized it from ISIL (ISIS). On Thursday, the Syrian military additionally took management of the US base of al-Tanf, close to the border with Iraq and Jordan.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed reporters that the implementation of the ceasefire settlement was “headed in a constructive course”.
“There’s been some days which were very regarding, however we just like the trajectory,” he stated. “We have now to maintain it on that trajectory. We’ve bought good agreements in place. The important thing now could be implementation, and we’ll be very concerned in that regard.”
He famous that related agreements wanted to be reached with the Druze, Bedouin and Alawite communities within the nation.
“We predict that end result, as troublesome because it’s been, is much better than the Syria that might have been damaged up into eight items, with every kind of combating happening, every kind of mass migration, so we really feel very constructive about that.”
Diminished US presence
Reporting from Aleppo, Al Jazeera correspondent Heidi Pett stated residents close to al-Shaddadi stated in current days that they had been listening to “explosions and seeing fires on the base as Individuals destroy remaining materials as a result of they’ve been getting ready to depart there for a variety of weeks”.
“That is a part of a broader change in US technique within the area transferring in the direction of partnering immediately with the Syrian authorities,” she stated.
The US has been decreasing its navy footprint in Syria for months, going from 1,500 personnel in July to about 900 at present.
It has been consolidating its floor presence to Tower 22 in Jordan, though it continues to hold out air strikes on ISIL targets in Syria, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) announcing it had performed 10 air strikes on 30 targets in the course of the February 3-12 interval, and killed or captured greater than 50 folks in two months.
CENTCOM’s commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in a press release that US forces would “stay poised to answer any [ISIS] threats that come up”.
