US troops withdraw from 3 outposts in PKK/YPG terror group-controlled areas in Syria

United States military has withdrawn from three minor outposts in areas controlled by the PKK/YPG terrorist group in northeastern Syria, relocating personnel and equipment to other bases.

The outposts were located in the Hadra and Firat villages near Hasakah and around the Conoco and al-Omar gas fields in Deir ez-Zor province. Troops from Hasakah were moved to the U.S. base in Rmelan, while those from Deir ez-Zor were relocated to the larger Conoco site.

The New York Times reported Thursday that the U.S. has begun a significant drawdown of its forces in Syria, citing two senior officials. According to the report, the number of operating bases in the northeast is being cut from eight to five, and troop levels are dropping from roughly 2,000 to 1,400.

The withdrawal comes amid a dramatic transformation in Syria’s political structure. On December 8, opposition groups seized control of Damascus, prompting regime leader Bashar al-Assad to flee to Russia and bringing an end to the Baath Party’s decades-long rule.

US presence centered on energy-rich zones

Following Türkiye’s Operation Peace Spring in October 2019, the U.S. began retreating from forward positions near the Turkish border, focusing instead on oil and gas infrastructure in the east.

According to data compiled by Turkish news agency Anadolu, U.S. forces currently maintain 21 military bases and outposts in Hasakah, Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor provinces, as well as in Ayn al-Arab (Kobani) in Aleppo.

These zones remain under the occupation of the PKK/YPG, a group designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S., and the European Union. The PKK’s Syrian offshoot, the YPG, plays a dominant role in the SDF — a group long supported by Washington in the fight against Daesh.

The PKK has waged a four-decade terror campaign against Türkiye, claiming the lives of more than 40,000 people, including women and children.