The U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barak, stated that the United States has begun scaling down its military presence in Syria and plans to shut down all its bases in the country except for one.
اضافة اعلان
Washington has maintained forces in Syria for years as part of international efforts to combat ISIS, which once controlled vast areas of territory in Syria and neighboring Iraq over a decade ago, but has since suffered defeats in both countries.
In an interview with Turkey’s NTV television channel on Monday, the envoy explained, “We are reducing our military presence as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.”
He added, “We’ve gone from eight bases to five, then to three. We will likely retain just one base.”
However, Barak acknowledged that Syria continues to face major security challenges under the leadership of President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
President Bashar al-Assad was ousted six months ago, bringing an end to the 14-year civil war in Syria. However, the new authorities have struggled to contain recent outbreaks of sectarian violence.
In April, the Pentagon announced its intention to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed in Syria to fewer than 1,000 in the coming months.
—AFP
