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The end of the Assad era has reduced some threats, but the Islamic State has shown renewed strength in the country.
April 17, 2025Updated 3:56 p.m. ET
The United States has started drawing down hundreds of troops from northeastern Syria, a reflection of the shifting security environment in the country since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December, but also a move that carries risks.
The military is shuttering three of its eight small operating bases in the country’s northeast, reducing troop levels to about 1,400 from 2,000, two senior U.S. officials said. The bases are Mission Support Site Green Village, M.S.S. Euphrates and a third much smaller facility.
After 60 days, the officials said, American commanders will assess whether to make additional cuts. Commanders have recommended keeping at least 500 U.S. troops in Syria, one of the officials said.
President Trump, however, has expressed deep skepticism about keeping any U.S. troops in the country. At least for now the reductions that started on Thursday are based on ground commanders’ recommendations to close and consolidate bases, and were approved by the Pentagon and its Central Command, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters.
The Islamic State remains a potent danger in Syria, particularly in the northeast where American troops are concentrated. But the demise of Mr. Assad’s regime has greatly reduced, at least for now, an array of other threats, including the Iran-backed militias and Russian troops that supported the Syrian government.
Another major turning point came last month when the Kurdish-led militia that controls northeastern Syria agreed to merge with the country’s new government, a breakthrough for Damascus in its efforts to unify a country still wrestling with violent turmoil.
