Syria reclaims strategic al-Tanf base following US withdrawal

The Syrian government has re-established control over the strategic al-Tanf base, situated at the tri-border junction of Syria, Iraq, and Jordan, following the withdrawal of US forces after nearly a decade of presence.

The Syrian Army has assumed control of the base and deployed troops there, Al Arabiya TV reports.

US forces reportedly relocated to a nearby installation known as Tower 22, located approximately 22 kilometres (13 miles) from al-Tanf, near the demilitarized zone along the Jordan-Syria border. While around 200 US personnel were previously stationed at al-Tanf, there is no confirmed data on the number of troops currently deployed at Tower 22.

The al-Tanf base, which was expanded in 2017 and 2018, had played a key role in US operations in the region. Surveillance assets, including balloons stationed at the base, were used to monitor military activities of Iran-backed groups and ISIS (Daesh) across a broad area spanning from the Jordanian border to the Euphrates River.

By Vafa Guliyeva