U.S. Military Plans Withdrawal from Syria by April: WSJ Reports

ANKARA – The U.S. military is set to withdraw American forces from Syria by the end of April, with a significant number expected to leave by mid-March, according to sources cited by a major news outlet.

A U.S. official confirmed the April timeline, indicating that the withdrawal would include the evacuation from the military base at Tanf, located near the Syrian border with Iraq and Jordan.

In December, President Trump announced the decision to pull out all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, asserting that the fight against the Islamic State in the region was nearly complete.

This abrupt decision caught many within the administration and allied nations, including Turkey and the coalition of Kurdish and Arab militias that collaborated with the U.S. against Islamic State, by surprise.

The U.S. has been negotiating with Turkey, which views the U.S.-supported Kurdish YPG militia as a terrorist group, to ensure the safety of YPG fighters following the withdrawal. Discussions are also ongoing regarding the establishment of a safe zone along the border to address Turkey’s security concerns.

In response to queries about the withdrawal timeline, a spokesperson for the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq directed inquiries to a Pentagon representative, who declined to provide details on the pull-out schedule.

A Turkish official noted that the U.S. had not provided Ankara with a specific completion date for the withdrawal from Syria.

An official from the Syrian Democratic Forces, the U.S.-backed coalition led by the YPG, stated that there has been no withdrawal to date and that the situation on the ground remains unchanged, with no discussions currently taking place about setting a withdrawal timeline.