Syria Takes Full Control of Qasrak Air Base in Hasakah After U.S. Withdrawal

Syria said it has taken full control of all military sites where U.S. forces were previously deployed, completing a handover that Damascus described as reflecting the successful absorption of Kurdish-led fighters into national structures.

“Syria has taken full control of all military sites where US forces had previously been deployed, completing a handover that Damascus says reflects the successful absorption of Kurdish-led fighters into national structures”

Al Jazeera

The announcement came on Thursday, after the final convoy of U.S. soldiers and equipment departed Qasrak air base in the northeastern governorate of Hasakah, ending a U.S. military presence that began in 2014 when U.S. forces entered the fight against ISIL (ISIS) alongside Kurdish fighters.

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera reported that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa received the two most senior figures in the SDF, its military commander Mazloum Abdi and the head of its political wing Ilham Ahmad, in Damascus on Thursday, with Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and a presidential envoy overseeing integration also present.

Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the completed handover, saying it reflected efforts to bring the country under a single state authority, including border areas and the northeast.

The ministry said the transfer was carried out “in full coordination with the US,” and Al Jazeera added that US Central Command told AFP that U.S. forces “have completed turning over all of our major bases in Syria as part of a deliberate and conditions-based transition.”

Multiple outlets tied the Qasrak handover to a broader phased drawdown, with Middle East Eye saying the last remaining U.S. troops in Syria left their base in Hasakah on Thursday after a 10-year presence aimed at fighting the Islamic State group.

The Qasrak handover was presented by Damascus and U.S. officials as the culmination of a transition that had been underway for months and was linked to deals between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Al Jazeera said the handover followed a deal struck in January between Damascus and the SDF, which had governed large swaths of northern and eastern Syria with tacit U.S. backing, and it described a brief conflict in which Syrian government forces fought the SDF and seized control of much of the territory before both sides came to a new agreement in March.

Al-Jazeera Net

Under that March agreement, Al Jazeera reported that Kurdish fighters were being brought into the Syrian national army, Syrian security forces deployed to the city centres of Hasakah and Qamishli, and control of border crossings and civilian institutions transferred to Damascus.

Al Jazeera also said Syria joined the international coalition against ISIL in November, a milestone that recast Damascus as a partner rather than an obstacle and altered the rationale for a continued U.S. military presence.

Daily Sabah described Syria’s foreign ministry statement welcoming the completed handover of military sites “in full coordination between the Syrian and American governments,” and it added that Damascus viewed the U.S. move as reflecting “a shared assessment that the circumstances which originally necessitated the American military presence in Syria... have fundamentally changed.”

Multiple outlets placed the Qasrak departure within a sequence that included earlier withdrawals from Al-Tanf and al-Shaddadi, with Middle East Online stating that U.S. forces completed their full withdrawal from the Qasrak base in northwestern Hasakah province and that the handover followed reports from March indicating evacuation began with Global Coalition equipment moved toward the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as part of an operation scheduled for completion by mid-April.

The handover was framed through official statements and named figures on both sides, with Damascus emphasizing sovereignty and integration and Washington emphasizing a conditions-based transition.

“US troops depart Syria, ending decade of presence in fight against ISIS The last major American bases in Syria have been turned over to the government in Damascus, US military officials confirmed to Al-Monitor”

Al-Monitor

Al Jazeera reported that Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the completed handover and said it 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 said the transfer had been carried out in full coordination with the US, and it pointed to a constructive relationship developed since al-Sharaa met US President Donald Trump at the White House in November.

US Central Command, as quoted by Al Jazeera, told AFP that U.S. forces “have completed turning over all of our major bases in Syria as part of a deliberate and conditions-based transition,” and it was echoed by Chattanooga Times Free Press through Capt. Tim Hawkins confirming the withdrawal and saying “U.S. forces have completed turning over all of our major bases in Syria, as part of a deliberate and conditions-based transition.”

Middle East Eye added that a Syrian foreign ministry statement welcomed “the completed handover of military sites where United States forces were previously present in Syria to the Syrian government,” and it quoted the ministry’s line that the completion reflected “the Syrian state’s assumption of full responsibility for combating terrorism and addressing regional threats on its territory.”

TRT World added a separate detail from the ground, saying local sources reported that after US forces evacuated the base, elements affiliated with the YPG terror group set fire to some vehicles inside the facility, and that the base later came under the control of the Syrian army.

While all the outlets describe Syria’s takeover of Qasrak and the end of U.S. base hosting, they emphasize different political frames, timelines, and operational details.

Al Jazeera centers the integration narrative, describing the handover as reflecting “the successful absorption of Kurdish-led fighters into national structures” and tying it to meetings in Damascus with Mazloum Abdi and Ilham Ahmad.

Chattanooga Times Free Press

Daily Sabah similarly foregrounds Syria’s claim of control and its formal joining of the international anti-Daesh coalition, stating Syria said it has taken control of all military bases previously used by U.S. forces deployed in the country as part of the international coalition against Daesh.

Middle East Online focuses on the mechanics of the handover, stating that U.S. forces on Thursday completed their full withdrawal from the Qasrak base in northwestern Hasakah province, transferring control of the facility to the Syrian army's 60th Division, and it adds that AFP correspondent near Qamishli observed a convoy of U.S. military vehicles heading toward the Iraqi border.

TRT World adds a post-withdrawal incident detail, reporting that local sources said elements affiliated with the YPG terror group set fire to some vehicles inside the facility after US forces evacuated the base.

Thecradle.co frames the same event as “the end of the US occupation of the country under the pretext of fighting ISIS,” while Al-Monitor emphasizes the end of a decade-long American ground presence and the New York Times describes the transition as “the end of a formal U.S. military presence in Syria for the first time in more than a decade.”

The sources portray the handover as ending U.S. base presence while leaving open a continuing U.S. role in counterterrorism cooperation and support for partner-led efforts.

“QASRAK AIR BASE, Syria (AP) — U”

Chattanooga Times Free Press

Al Jazeera said the handover followed Syria joining the international coalition against ISIL in November and described the shift in rationale for U.S. presence, while it also quoted U.S. Central Command’s statement that U.S. forces “have completed turning over all of our major bases in Syria” as part of a “deliberate and conditions-based transition.”

Courrier international

Chattanooga Times Free Press, quoting Capt. Tim Hawkins, said the U.S. military will “continue to support partner-led counterterrorism efforts, which are essential to ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS and strengthening regional security.”

Al-Monitor similarly described the departure as ending a decade-long American ground presence and said the U.S. Foreign Ministry statement welcomed “the completed handover of military sites where United States forces were previously present to the Syrian government,” while a U.S. official told Al-Monitor that “US forces have completed turning over all of our major bases in Syria, as part of a deliberate and conditions-based transition.”

Al-Monitor also added a budget detail, saying the Trump administration is seeking $130 million to fund counter-ISIS local forces in Syria for next fiscal year, and it stated that the same amount Congress allocated for this year.

TRT World said US forces continue to maintain a presence in Qamishli and Hasakah through security offices, as well as at the Istirahat al-Wazir base, indicating that even with the base handover, the region still hosts some U.S.-linked footprint.