The United States has begun withdrawing hundreds of troops from northeastern Syria, according to a report by The New York Times on Thursday. The move includes the closure of three out of eight U.S. military outposts in the region and will reduce the number of American personnel on the ground from approximately 2,000 to around 1,400, the report said, citing two senior U.S. officials.
This partial drawdown comes more than a decade after the 2011 uprising that led to the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s control over large parts of Syria, plunging the country into years of conflict and fragmentation. Since then, Syria has remained mired in instability, with ongoing clashes among government forces, opposition groups, and extremist elements, along with the involvement of regional and international powers.
U.S. forces were initially deployed to Syria as part of the international coalition to defeat ISIS, and they have since remained to support local Kurdish-led partners. However, officials say the current drawdown reflects a recalibration of American military posture rather than a full withdrawal. Security remains fragile in the northeast, raising concerns about the potential resurgence of extremist groups and regional power shifts following the U.S. troop reduction.
