HASAKAH GOVERNORATE — Syria took full control of all military sites where U.S. forces had previously been deployed after the final convoy of American soldiers and equipment departed Qasrak air base in Hasakah Governorate. The handover completed a withdrawal process that began after U.S. forces first entered Syria in 2014 to fight ISIL alongside Kurdish fighters.

"We have completed turning over all of our major bases in Syria as part of a deliberate and conditions-based transition," U.S. Central Command, the military body responsible for U.S. troops in the Middle East, said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the completed handover, saying the transfer had been carried out in full coordination with the United States. The ministry said the handover reflected the government's efforts to bring the country under a single state authority, including border areas and the northeast, which had long operated outside Damascus's control. The ministry added that this coordination pointed to a constructive relationship that developed since Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in November.

The withdrawal followed a series of agreements between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces, which had governed large swaths of northern and eastern Syria with tacit U.S. backing. The Kurdish fighters who partnered with U.S. forces against ISIL later went on to lead the SDF. In January, Damascus and the SDF struck a deal, but Syrian government forces fought a brief conflict with the group and seized control of much of its previously held territory. Both sides came to a new agreement in March under which Kurdish fighters are being integrated into the Syrian national army.

Syrian security forces have since deployed to the city centers of Hasakah and Qamishli, and control of border crossings and civilian institutions has transferred to Damascus. Al-Sharaa received SDF military commander Mazloum Abdi and head of its political wing Ilham Ahmad in Damascus on Thursday. Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and the presidential envoy overseeing the integration process were present at the meeting.

Syria analyst Charles Lister said the last soldiers and equipment were routed overland through Jordan rather than Iraq to reduce exposure to potential attacks by Iranian-backed armed groups operating in the region. Lister noted that the route through Jordan was chosen over Iraq given the presence of those groups along alternative corridors.