SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — The United States and its international coalition partners have intensified their military presence in the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), reinforcing strategic bases as clashes escalate between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and pro-Turkish groups.
On December 31, a U.S. cargo plane delivered military equipment and personnel to the Kharab Al-Jeir base in northern Hasakah province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The delivery underscores an ongoing effort to strengthen coalition capabilities in the region.
This follows the arrival of a 55-truck convoy through the Al-Walid border crossing between Iraq and Syria, carrying armored vehicles, fuel tanks, and other military supplies. A separate convoy of 50 trucks crossed into Rojava via the Semalka border crossing between Rojava (northeast Syria) and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on December 28, further bolstering U.S.-led coalition positions.
The coalition’s increased presence aims to counter a resurgence of ISIS, which has conducted 266 documented sleeper cell operations in Syria in 2024, resulting in 120 deaths, according to SOHR. The extremist group’s activities have surged in desert areas since the December 8 collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime to opposition forces led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
The Pentagon recently disclosed that U.S. troop numbers in Syria have risen to approximately 2,000, more than doubling earlier reports of 900 personnel. This expanded footprint highlights the strategic importance of Rojava, as clashes between the SDF and the pro-Turkish Syrian National Army (SNA) persist.
