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 optimistic path”.
“There’s been some days which were very regarding, however we just like the trajectory,” he stated. “We’ve to maintain it on that trajectory. We’ve obtained good agreements in place. The important thing now could be implementation, and we’ll be very concerned in that regard.”
He famous that comparable agreements wanted to be reached with the Druze, Bedouin and Alawite communities within the nation.
“We expect that final result, as troublesome because it’s been, is much better than the Syria that will have been damaged up into eight items, with all types of preventing occurring, all types of mass migration, so we really feel very optimistic about that.”
Diminished US presence
Reporting from Aleppo, Al Jazeera correspondent Heidi Pett stated residents close to al-Shaddadi stated in latest days that they have been listening to “explosions and seeing fires on the base as Individuals destroy remaining materials as a result of they’ve been making ready to go away there for a variety of weeks”.
“That is a part of a broader change in US technique within the area shifting in 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) saying it had performed 10 air strikes on 30 targets through the February 3-12 interval, and killed or captured greater than 50 individuals in two months.
CENTCOM’s commander Admiral Brad Cooper stated in a press release that US forces would “stay poised to reply to any [ISIS] threats that come up”.
