The Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued transitioning control of portions of Syria as US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had carried out strikes on the Islamic State in the first weeks of February.
The transition process has seen Syrian government security forces deployed to areas in eastern Syria. However, challenges remain, and US-mediated negotiations are ongoing. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al Shaibani and Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the SDF, at the Munich Security Conference on February 14.
A number of changes are occurring in Syria at the same time. CENTCOM said on February 13 that it had completed the transfer of 5,700 ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq, and the previous day, announced that US forces had left the Al Tanf garrison in southern Syria. "U.S. forces remain poised to respond to any ISIS [Islamic State] threats that arise in the region as we support partner-led efforts to prevent the terrorist network's resurgence," Central Command head Admiral Brad Cooper said in a statement that CENTCOM posted on X.
CENTCOM noted in a separate statement that it continues to conduct airstrikes on the Islamic State in Syria, announcing that 10 strikes were carried out between February 3 and 12. "U.S. forces struck ISIS infrastructure and weapons storage targets with precision munitions delivered by fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned aircraft," CENTCOM said.
As the US withdraws from Syria while keeping pressure on Islamic State cells, the Syrian government is juggling several issues in eastern Syria. One is the challenge of dealing with the remaining Islamic State-linked families in the country. Last year, there were more than 30,000 women and children at the Al Hol and Roj camps in eastern Syria. The government took over Al Hol on January 21 as the SDF retreated. On January 29, the government and the SDF came to an agreement to transfer security control of areas of eastern Syria to the government.
Islamic State-linked families also remain at the Roj camp, which is still controlled by SDF-linked security forces. "The Roj camp in the Derik countryside houses 710 families of ISIS members, totaling 2,201 people of 40 nationalities, according to the camp administration," North Press Agency in eastern Syria reported on February 17.
On February 17, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that Syria Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al Saleh traveled to Al Hol camp. Saleh reportedly visited the facility "to review humanitarian conditions and assess emergency response measures in the camp." The report said that Al Hol continues to be "one of the largest displacement camps in northeastern Syria, housing tens of thousands of people, including displaced Syrians and foreign nationals." However, a video posted online on February 17 claimed to show that many people had left the facility.
In the city of Kobane in northern Syria, the SDF is still in control, and there has been a delay in government forces entering the city. This situation has led to a state of "siege," according to the Kurdish Rudaw Media Network. "The Kurdish Red Crescent has warned that the besieged town of Kobane in northeastern Syria (Rojava) will run out of medicines within three days, with baby formula already depleted," Rudaw noted. A UN delegation from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) visited the city, Rudaw reported on February 17. Neither Syrian state media nor the SDF's X account has mentioned Kobane in recent days.
Despite the challenges in Kobane, Mazloum Abdi has said that integrating his organization with the Syrian government is moving forward in the wake of the January agreement. The messaging from the SDF commander, as reported in Rudaw and North Press, appears to indicate that the SDF believes the deal with the government is continuing as planned.
During the meeting in Munich among Rubio, Shaibani, and Abdi, the US discussed many of the current challenges in Syria. "The Secretary emphasized the importance of implementing the permanent ceasefire and integration agreement in northeast Syria, and ensuring full respect and safety for the rights of all Syrians," the US Department of State noted.
