US forces in Tanf continue to train with Syrian partner forces and support their work securing an area of southern Syria near the Iraqi and Jordanian borders.
On April 11, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTFOIR), the US-led anti-Islamic State operation that has operated in the country since 2015, posted an image of 10th Mountain Division troops constructing “a mortar position during a patrol in the Deconfliction Zone.” It was part of training supporting the Syrian Free Army (SFA), a unit of several hundred Syrians the US has backed in Tanf over the last seven years. The training has continued as the new Syrian government expands its control over the country.
The US military is weighing a potential reduction in forces in Syria, according to Reuters and other reports on April 15. The redeployment, consolidation, or withdrawal of troops is expected to happen in phases, according to a Ynet report.
“The US military is set to consolidate its presence in Syria over the coming weeks and months, two US officials told Reuters on Tuesday, in a move that could reduce the number of troops it has in the country by half,” Reuters noted on April 16. This development would halve the roughly 2,000 American personnel currently estimated to be in Syria, a fraction of which are at Tanf. On April 16, Levant24, a local Syrian media outlet, claimed that US forces had already begun to leave areas near the Euphrates River. This move followed an agreement between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the central government in Damascus.
There is speculation on social media by accounts following Syria developments that the US garrison at Tanf may remain amid phased withdrawals elsewhere. However, such a plan has not been confirmed, and US officials have not commented on the garrison’s future.
Nevertheless, a possible US redeployment raises questions about what will happen at Tanf. The garrison is not very large, though the US does not specify how many troops are at the post. The Tanf Garrison has maintained a 55-kilometer de-confliction zone around the post over the last half-decade. Operation Inherent Resolve has frequently highlighted the US’s role there over the last month. On April 8, a post to CJTFOIR’s X account featured a photograph with the caption, “Coalition Forces brief Syrian partner forces in Syria’s Deconfliction Zone. Coalition Forces assessed the outpost’s conditions and trained SFA soldiers in personnel and vehicle searches as well as checkpoint operations.” On March 30 and March 28, posts highlighted minesweeping operations in which the 10th Mountain Division supported the SFA.
The 10th Mountain Division has also conducted air assault training with Syrian partner forces. CJTFOIR stated that the exercises were part of the coalition’s “ongoing efforts to enhance the capabilities of partner forces and strengthen partnerships. The Coalition is committed to advising, assisting, and enabling partner forces to defeat ISIS and maintain regional security and stability.” The air assault training took place from late February to early March.
US Senator John Barrasso visited Tanf on March 16, where he met with members of the Wyoming Army National Guard’s 115th Field Artillery Brigade. In addition, the US commander of Tanf Garrison, Lieutenant Colonel Ross Daly, met with local Bedouins in the area and the commander of the SFA, Colonel Salem Turki Al Antari. US forces at the garrison have also met with local Syrian police in nearby Rukban, which is the site of a large internally displaced persons camp.
The SFA has highlighted its work with local civilians supporting healthcare initiatives. The group also continues to conduct mine-clearing operations and has been operating more than 200 kilometers from Tanf in the city of Dumayr, east of Damascus. These efforts illustrate that the SFA appears to have formed amicable relations with the new Syrian authorities. In February, Antari said his forces would integrate into the new Syrian army.
