U.S. Central Command said Wednesday it has completed the departure of U.S. forces from the al-Tanf Garrison in Syria, marking a major shift at a remote outpost that has been part of the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State group for roughly a decade.
CENTCOM confirmed that the final pullout occurred on February 11 and said the movement was a deliberate, conditions-based transition under Combined Joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve.
The move was framed not as the end to counterterrorism efforts, but rather a consolidation of U.S. positions in Syria. The CENTCOM commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, called American forces ready to answer ISIS threats and continued to support partner-led operations to keep the group from resurfacing.
In the last two months alone, CENTCOM said it has targeted over 100 sites, using over 350 precision munitions. Those, the command added, led to the capture or killing of over 50 ISIS terrorists.
Those killed or detained were described by the U.S. military as ISIS fighters and operatives; no names, nationalities, or specific charges were provided beyond noting their affiliation with the terrorist network.
Al-Tanf has long been associated with the U.S. mission, which began in 2014 when the coalition ramped up operations against ISIS. CENTCOM said the consolidation is in line with ISIS’s 2019 territorial defeat and fits into a broader plan to streamline U.S. locations in Syria-a plan the DoD announced in April 2025.
Even as the troops posture adjusts, CENTCOM emphasized that pressure on ISIS must continue. The statement didn’t disclose where forces are headed next or how routine coalition activity in the region might shift during the transit.
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