US begins withdrawing from major base in Rojava

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States on Monday began withdrawing from Qasrak Base in Hasaka, northeastern Syria (Rojava), transferring equipment to Iraq.

The move comes after an agreement between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on local area management.

A Rudaw team witnessed a convoy of dozens of trucks carrying armored vehicles and prefabricated structures traveling along the road connecting Qasrak Base in Hasaka province to the Iraqi border.

"Within a month, they will have withdrawn from Syria and there will no longer be any military presence in the bases," a Syrian government official told AFP.

The withdrawal from the Qasrak Base is expected to take 20 days.

This follows the recent withdrawal of American forces from two other bases in Syria: Al-Tanf in the southeast and Shadadi in the northeast, both completed over the past two weeks.

Officials have not yet provided details on the timeline for the full withdrawal or the future status of US operations in the region.

The withdrawal follows a US-brokered deal that ended days of intense fighting between the SDF and Damascus-backed armed factions, including the Syrian Arab Army.

The SDF, the de facto military force in the autonomous region of Rojava, has served as the coalition’s primary ground partner in Syria for the past decade.

In mid-January, Syrian government forces and allied groups moved into several northeastern cities previously under SDF control.

After weeks of clashes, the SDF and Damascus announced on January 29 that they had reached an internationally brokered agreement to end hostilities and integrate Rojava’s civil and military institutions - including Kurdish-led forces - into state structures.

The US welcomed the agreement as a step toward unity and reconciliation in Syria.

According to a Pentagon announcement in July 2025, the United States had approximately 1,500 troops stationed in Syria.

Updated at 12:30 pm