Us Withdrawal From Syria

The American troops withdrawing from Syria will stay in Iraq "temporarily" before returning to the United States, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday.

The deadline for the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters from areas in northeastern Syria expires at 1900 GMT Tuesday, a Turkish military source said, as part of a 120-hour suspension agreed between Ankara and Washington.

The US armed forces demolished their own airbase in Al-Hasakah province in northeast Syria before abandoning it and withdrawing troops, Syrian media reported on Sunday.

US forces withdrew from their largest base in northern Syria on Sunday, a monitor said, as Turkey accused Kurdish forces of killing one of its soldiers in fighting that tested a fragile truce.

Turkey has agreed to suspend its Syria offensive for five days and will end the assault if Kurdish-led forces withdraw from a safe zone along the border, US Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish officials announced Thursday after high-stakes talks.

Two US fighter jets conducted pre-planned airstrikes on Wednesday targeting an American munitions storage bunker in Syria to destroy munitions and other equipment left behind following the withdrawal of its troops from the country, United States defence officials said.

The United States wants to maintain support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in their fight against ISIS militants despite US troops withdrawing from northern Syria, a Pentagon official said Tuesday.

The Pentagon said Sunday President Donald Trump had ordered the withdrawal of up to 1,000 troops from northern Syria -- almost the entire ground force in the war-torn country -- amid an intensifying Turkish assault on Kurdish forces.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday warned of the risks of Washington sending mixed signals on an American withdrawal from northern Syria.

President Donald Trump on Monday justified his decision to withdraw US troops from Turkey's border with Syria, saying the region would have to "figure the situation out" and that America needed to get out of "ridiculous Endless Wars."

The United States began withdrawing American troops from Syria's border with Turkey early Monday, in the clearest sign yet that the Trump administration was washing its hands of an explosive situation between the Turkish military and U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters.

The United States is likely just weeks away from starting the withdrawal of ground troops from Syria ordered by President Donald Trump, the top U.S. commander overseeing American forces in the Middle East said on Sunday.

The top general overseeing US military actions in the Middle East said Tuesday that President Donald Trump did not consult him ahead of the decision to pull US troops from Syria.

The United States urged countries Monday to repatriate and prosecute at home ISIS sympathisers captured in Syria, a delicate issue for allies such as France as Washington withdraws troops.

Pushing back against Republican opposition, US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his determination to pull US troops out of "endless wars" in Syria and Afghanistan, in an interview that aired Sunday. But he said they would stay in Iraq to watch Iran.

The American troops withdrawing from Syria will stay in Iraq "temporarily" before returning to the United States, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday.

The deadline for the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters from areas in northeastern Syria expires at 1900 GMT Tuesday, a Turkish military source said, as part of a 120-hour suspension agreed between Ankara and Washington.

The US armed forces demolished their own airbase in Al-Hasakah province in northeast Syria before abandoning it and withdrawing troops, Syrian media reported on Sunday.

US forces withdrew from their largest base in northern Syria on Sunday, a monitor said, as Turkey accused Kurdish forces of killing one of its soldiers in fighting that tested a fragile truce.

Turkey has agreed to suspend its Syria offensive for five days and will end the assault if Kurdish-led forces withdraw from a safe zone along the border, US Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish officials announced Thursday after high-stakes talks.

Two US fighter jets conducted pre-planned airstrikes on Wednesday targeting an American munitions storage bunker in Syria to destroy munitions and other equipment left behind following the withdrawal of its troops from the country, United States defence officials said.

The United States wants to maintain support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in their fight against ISIS militants despite US troops withdrawing from northern Syria, a Pentagon official said Tuesday.

The Pentagon said Sunday President Donald Trump had ordered the withdrawal of up to 1,000 troops from northern Syria -- almost the entire ground force in the war-torn country -- amid an intensifying Turkish assault on Kurdish forces.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday warned of the risks of Washington sending mixed signals on an American withdrawal from northern Syria.

President Donald Trump on Monday justified his decision to withdraw US troops from Turkey's border with Syria, saying the region would have to "figure the situation out" and that America needed to get out of "ridiculous Endless Wars."

The United States began withdrawing American troops from Syria's border with Turkey early Monday, in the clearest sign yet that the Trump administration was washing its hands of an explosive situation between the Turkish military and U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters.

The United States is likely just weeks away from starting the withdrawal of ground troops from Syria ordered by President Donald Trump, the top U.S. commander overseeing American forces in the Middle East said on Sunday.

The top general overseeing US military actions in the Middle East said Tuesday that President Donald Trump did not consult him ahead of the decision to pull US troops from Syria.

The United States urged countries Monday to repatriate and prosecute at home ISIS sympathisers captured in Syria, a delicate issue for allies such as France as Washington withdraws troops.

Pushing back against Republican opposition, US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his determination to pull US troops out of "endless wars" in Syria and Afghanistan, in an interview that aired Sunday. But he said they would stay in Iraq to watch Iran.