U.S. Pulls Out of More Bases in Syria, Raising Alarm Over ISIS Resurgence

Summary:

The U.S. military has withdrawn from two more bases in Syria’s northeast, according to on-ground confirmation by Reuters. This ongoing drawdown, now reducing eight bases to potentially just one, has triggered concerns among Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that the Islamic State (ISIS) is gaining strength. SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi warns that current troop levels are “not enough” to contain the growing threat.

Two Bases Emptied in Hasaka Province

Reuters reporters who visited the Al-Wazir and Tel Baydar bases in Hasaka province last week found them largely abandoned. The once-bustling U.S.-led coalition installations now host only small contingents of SDF fighters. Surveillance equipment and perimeter fortifications had visibly deteriorated.

One Kurdish political figure confirmed there were no longer any U.S. troops at Al-Wazir. SDF guards at Tel Baydar also acknowledged the recent exit of U.S. forces. The Pentagon declined to comment.

This is the first independent verification of these base closures, bringing the total number of known U.S. withdrawals in Syria to at least four since President Donald Trump took office.

From Eight Bases to One

The Trump administration recently announced plans to scale down military presence in northeastern Syria from eight to just one base. The New York Times reported in April that troop levels could shrink from 2,000 to as few as 500.

While the current number of deployed personnel remains unconfirmed, the shift appears to signal a major strategic pivot in U.S. involvement in Syria.

SDF Commander: “Not Enough to Stop ISIS”

In an interview with Reuters at the Al-Shadadi base, SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi expressed deep concern:

“The threat of Islamic State has significantly increased… A few hundred troops on one base are not enough.”

Although the drawdown has been coordinated with the SDF, Abdi said ISIS cells are once again becoming active — not only in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor, but even in Damascus. He further revealed that foreign jihadists previously fighting Assad have joined ISIS ranks, and that the group has looted Syrian regime weapons depots in the post-Assad chaos.

Iranian Missiles Target U.S. Base

Just hours after Abdi’s interview, three Iranian-made missiles targeted the Al-Shadadi base. U.S. air defenses successfully intercepted all of them, according to two SDF security sources. The incident coincided with escalating Israel-Iran hostilities, which Abdi declined to comment on directly, though he expressed hope the conflict wouldn’t spill into Syria.

ISIS Resurfaces Amid U.S. Retreat

ISIS — also known as Daesh — controlled vast areas of Iraq and Syria from 2014 to 2017, until a U.S.-led coalition, backed by local forces like the SDF, dismantled its so-called caliphate. However, the power vacuum following Assad’s ousting and U.S. withdrawals is now being exploited by the group.

Abdi noted that ISIS attacks have already resumed in areas east of the Euphrates River, with at least 10 SDF fighters killed in recent ambushes and IED strikes, including a roadside bomb targeting a convoy of oil tankers.

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