Years after withdrawing from Kobani, U.S. forces are reportedly in the process of establishing a base in this northern Syrian city, located near the Turkish border, which has been plagued by conflict between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkish-supported factions. This development coincides with a new Syrian government attempting to assert control over the nation following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad.
Numerous videos and images circulating on social media claim to depict U.S. troops and equipment en route to Kobani, with intentions to construct a new base for the international coalition. Currently, approximately 2,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Syria, primarily focused on the ongoing battle against ISIS. This conflict has recently manifested in the U.S., where an individual claiming ties to ISIS executed a fatal attack in New Orleans.
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The U.S. is increasing its support for the Kurds along the Turkish border.
Syrian media reports that the U.S. is building a military base in Kobani (Ain al-Arab), a Kurdish city in northern Aleppo near the Turkey-Syria border. pic.twitter.com/dxiejdmvij
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) January 2, 2025
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), U.S. forces transported a convoy of 50 trucks loaded with cement blocks to areas controlled by the SDF in northeastern Syria. SOHR reported that the convoy was observed on the Al-Hasakah-Al-Raqqah highway, heading towards the Ain Al-Arab region (Kobani) in the eastern Aleppo countryside, accompanied by an SDF military vehicle. Sources from SOHR indicate that this operation is part of U.S. efforts to enhance their bases and establish a new military installation in Ain Al-Arab amid escalating security and military tensions in the area.
The international coalition forces have also delivered a convoy of logistical support, which includes pre-fabricated structures, surveillance equipment, cement blocks, fuel tanks, and excavation machinery towards Kobani. SOHR further noted that excavation and drilling activities are set to commence soon, with additional military reinforcements, including personnel, weaponry, armored vehicles, radar systems, and anti-aircraft armaments, expected to arrive.
This evaluation was disseminated by the pro-SDF North Press media outlet.
According to the publication, “The U.S.-led Global Coalition commenced the establishment of a military base in Kobani, northern Syria, on Thursday.” The North Press correspondent observed trucks delivering concrete blocks to the site for construction.
The convoy was reported to carry logistical supplies, including prefabricated rooms, surveillance cameras, trench-digging equipment, concrete blocks, and fuel tanks. North Press further noted that a hotel has been selected as the primary location for the Coalition’s base in the city center of Kobani.
The #US-led Global Coalition begins establishing a military base in the city of #Kobani, northern #Syria.https://t.co/7gVSDmNvQR
— NORTH PRESS AGENCY – ENGLISH (@NPA_English) January 2, 2025
Following the withdrawal from the Kobani region, the U.S. military revealed that two U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles had targeted the abandoned Lafarge Cement Factory in northern Syria on October 16, 2019. This facility is strategically located along the M4 highway, which connects Ain Issa and Kobani, and had previously functioned as the “headquarters of the de facto Defeat-ISIS coalition in Syria,” as stated by U.S. Army Col. Myles Caggins, the chief spokesperson for the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, on October 15, 2019. The base was heavily utilized for special operations and featured landing pads for several helicopters. It remains uncertain whether this is the facility that the U.S. is reportedly seeking to enhance at this time.
After the U.S. vacated the site, Russian forces assumed control and maintained a presence there until most of their troops were withdrawn from Syria following the ousting of Assad.
Turkey’s primary concern revolves around its belief that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are essentially the same as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The PKK, which has been active in Turkey, northern Syria, and northern Iraq, is recognized as a terrorist organization by both the United States and Turkey. Nevertheless, the U.S. maintains that the PKK and SDF are distinct entities. The reported increase in U.S. presence in Kobani coincides with ongoing clashes between the SDF and forces supported by Turkey in northern Syria.
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