Syria welcomes the completion of the handover of all US military sites in its territory
Syria welcomed the ongoing and final handover of military positions occupied by U.S. forces in Syria to the Syrian government.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates confirmed in a statement on Thursday, April 16, 2026, that the restoration of the Syrian state's sovereignty over areas that were outside its control, including the northeast and border areas, "comes as a result of the continuous efforts made by the Syrian government to unify the country within the framework of a single state."
The Syrian Foreign Ministry explained that the completion of the handover of the US sites is a natural result of the success of the process of integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces into the national structures, "and the Syrian state assumes its full responsibilities in combating terrorism and confronting regional threats on its territory."
The Syrian government considers the US decision to end its military mission in Syria reflects a "shared assessment" that the conditions that originally called for the US military presence in Syria, namely confronting the regional rise of ISIS, have fundamentally changed , stressing that the Syrian state is now in a position to "lead counterterrorism efforts from within, in cooperation with the international community".
The ministry pointed out that the US sites were handed over with high professionalism, and in full coordination between the Syrian and US governments, in a step that reflects the nature of the constructive relationship that developed between Damascus and Washington following the historic meeting between President Ahmed al-Sharaa and President Donald Trump at the White House in November 2025.
The ministry expressed Syria's aspiration to build on this path by strengthening diplomacy, developing economic partnerships, and expanding areas of cooperation, in order to serve the interests of the two countries.
The Ministry of Defense announces the delivery of Qasrak base
The Syrian Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday that the Syrian Arab Army has taken over the "Qasrak" air base in the countryside of Al-Hasakah province in the northeast of the country, after the withdrawal of US forces from it.
The ministry's Department of Information and Communication said that army forces take over the Qasrak air base, after the withdrawal of the international coalition forces, according to the official news agency SANA.
Syrian News learned that units of the 60th Division entered the site immediately after the coalition's withdrawal, making the base under Syrian control for the first time in more than ten years, thus constituting an important step in the context of the Syrian state's regain of control over the northeast, especially after a series of US withdrawals that included other bases such as the destruction of al-Jir, Rumailan, al-Shaddadi and al-Tanf.
The Qasrak base is not just a military site, but a symbol of a full phase of the war against ISIS, and then a new phase of the rearrangement of military influence in northeastern Syria, where it has been transformed from a joint US-Kurdish operations center, to a final withdrawal point for the coalition, to the control of the Syrian army, thus shortening major shifts in the security and political landscape of the region.
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Qasrak base is one of the most prominent military sites in the northwestern countryside of Al-Hasakah, as it is located between Tal Tamr and Qamishli on the M4 international road, which gave it great strategic importance and its role has been clearly highlighted since 2014, with the US-led international coalition starting its operations against ISIS, as the base turned into a major coordination center between the coalition forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, and a starting point for patrols that monitored the organization's movements in large areas of the governorate.
During the years of its U.S. presence, al-Qaeda played a pivotal role in managing military and logistical operations, as it was used to store heavy equipment, operate drones, manage the SDF's logistical support, and monitor and secure the international route. Al-Qaeda has also been subjected to drone attacks at various stages, in light of the escalation of regional tension between the United States and Iran, which has led to raising the level of alert within it.
With the entry of the Syrian army, the rehabilitation work of the base began with the aim of using it for tasks related to monitoring the international road and strengthening the military deployment in the countryside of al-Hasakah, in addition to supporting security stability in the area after the departure of foreign forces. The Qasrak base has thus transformed from a joint US-Kurdish operations center into a fulcrum for the Syrian army, in a scene that reflects the major transformations that the region has witnessed in recent years.