Pentagon quietly boosts presence in Syria despite ‘withdrawal’ plans

The US-led international coalition has deployed over 100 trucks of military and logistical reinforcements to its bases in northeastern Syria over the past two days, according to a report by Shafaq on 12 June. The move comes despite recent US announcements of troop drawdowns and base closures in the country.

The convoy, which crossed from Iraq through the Al-Waleed border crossing, was loaded with military vehicles, fuel, food, water, and sealed containers believed to contain weapons and ammunition. The supplies were delivered to coalition bases in Khrab al-Jeer, Qasrak, and Al-Shaddadi in Syria’s Hasakah province.

A source from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) told the Shafaq news outletthat “weekly deliveries of military and logistical equipment are ongoing,” despite Washington’s claims of scaling down operations. The source confirmed that US forces remain stationed at their posts in Kurdish-controlled territories, actively cooperating with the SDF to contain Islamic State (ISIS) activities.

“The Coalition, in coordination with the SDF, continues to monitor ISIS cells to prevent the group from exploiting the current situation to reorganize or carry out attacks in Syria,” the source stated.

On Wednesday, the SDF announced a joint operation with coalition forces in Al-Mansoura, west of Raqqa, that resulted in the arrest of two prominent ISIS operatives. 

Abdul Sattar Abdul Fattah al-Mohammed, known as “Abu Amira,” and his brother, Mohammed Abdul Fattah al-Mohammed, known as “Abu Al-Baraa,” were captured at a workshop used for manufacturing car bombs and explosive silencers.“These individuals were directly involved in producing improvised explosive devices,” the SDF said in a statement. “The Islamic State’s efforts to destabilize the region will be met with firm resistance to safeguard civilians and public institutions.”

The redeployment of coalition assets comes amid renewed warnings from regional and western intelligence sources that ISIS is attempting a resurgence in both Syria and Iraq.

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