US forces to complete withdrawal from Syria within a monthA US military vehicle in northeastern Syria driving towards the Iraqi borderQAMISHLI (SYRIA) - The US forces that led the coalition against the Islamic State group will complete their withdrawal from Syria within a month, three sources told AFP on Monday, as troops began leaving a major base. The withdrawal comes as Syria's government has expanded its control to the country's northeast, previously controlled by US-allied Kurdish forces, and formally joined the coalition against IS. With Kurdish forces at the forefront, IS was territorially defeated in 2019 but retains sleeper cells. A diplomat from a country allied with both the United States and Syria said the withdrawal should be completed within 20 days. Human Rights Watch expressed concern over the wellbeing of 8,500 people after the camps of al-Hol, which Damascus shut down on Sunday, and Roj, still under Kurdish control, close.

Source: Bangkok Post February 24, 2026 03:51 UTC