US forces today withdrew from a key base in northern Syria, two days before the end of a US-brokered truce to stem a Turkish attack on Kurdish forces in the region.
The Syrian Observatory for the Human Rights said that more than 70 US armoured vehicles escorted by helicopters drove past the town of Tal Tamr carrying military equipment. It said that the convoy was evacuating the military base of Sarrin. It further said that the convoy appeared to be heading to the town of Hassakeh, further east. Sarrin is the largest American military base in the north of the country.
Today’s pullout was the fourth such withdrawal of American forces in a week and left Syria’s northern provinces of Aleppo and Raqa devoid of US troops.
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has said that under current plans all US troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq and the American military will continue to conduct operations against the Islamic State group to prevent its resurgence.
Esper, who arrived in the Afghan capital, Kabul today, did not rule out the idea that US forces would conduct counter -terrorism missions from Iraq into Syria. But he told reporters travelling with him that those details will be worked out over time.
He said, he has spoken to his Iraqi counterpart about the plan to shift about 1,000 troops leaving Syria into western Iraq.