U.S. Forces Leave Al-Tanf Base in Syria

After more than a decade of fighting elements of the Islamic State, U.S. troops have left a small base in southeastern Syria as the military shrinks its presence in the country. U.S. Central Command announced that the troops had completed an "orderly departure" from the Al-Tanf garrison on Wednesday.

Some of the troops from Al-Tanf are expected to be repositioned at a Jordanian military base across the border. Adm. Brad Cooper, the leader of Central Command, said in a statement that U.S. troops would "remain poised to respond to any ISIS threats that arise in the region." "Maintaining pressure on ISIS is essential to protecting the U.S.

homeland and strengthening regional security," he added. About 1,000 U.S. troops remain in Syria, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Al-Tanf served as a small outpost strategically positioned along the highway linking Baghdad to Damascus, near the intersection of the borders of Iraq, Jordan and Syria.

Syria, Al-Tanf

al-tanf, syria, u.s. troops, central command, brad cooper, isis, islamic state, jordan, iraq, damascus