Damascus, Feb 23, (dpa/GNA) – US forces in Syria have begun withdrawing from one of their largest bases in the country, a war monitor said on Monday.
A military convoy of more than 100 vehicles, left the Kasrak base in the north-eastern province of Hassakah earlier in the day, heading toward the Iraqi border, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
It was the second such convoy in recent days.
“It is a very important base where mainly US key commanders were present,” Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the UK-based monitoring group, told dpa.
He said it remains unclear whether the move represents a full withdrawal, or a partial drawdown. US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US forces in the region, has not yet commented.
Kurdish sources told dpa there are currently no plans for a complete evacuation, and troop levels are instead being reduced.
The base has long served as the logistics headquarters, and was the largest US presence in Syria.
Since 2015, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have been a central US ally in the fight against the Islamic State militant group in Syria.
The SDF used to control large parts of north-eastern Syria.
The SDF and Syria’s transitional government recently reached a comprehensive agreement that includes a roadmap for the group’s full integration into the Syrian state.
GNA