The US-led Central Command and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Thursday denied Iranian allegations that the remaining American troops in Kurdish-controlled areas of north-eastern Syria have left.
Iranian media outlets reported that US forces have left three military bases near the Al Omar Oilfield in Deir Ez-Zur and the Qamishli District in Hassakah Province shortly after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“There were no bases evacuated by US forces in Syria. There is no change to the CJTF-OIR mission in NE Syria. We remain committed to the defeat Daesh mission with our partner forces, the SDF,” Centcom said in a statement to The National, referring to the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.
There are about 900 US service members in Syria with numbers fluctuating daily due to operational requirements, according to Centcom.
The US-led coalition to "combat terrorism" includes 44 states with the aim of "promoting peace and stability in Centcom’s area of responsibility," its website says.
In 2019, the US helped the SDF defeat and drive out most of the ISIS fighters in eastern Syria.
But the terrorist group continues to have sleeper cells in the region and has carried out several attacks against the US-backed forces and civilians.
The Pentagon established a joint task force in 2014 with allies to launch a wide-scale military operation after ISIS seized vast swathes of Iraq and Syria in lightning attacks.
The US military bases are mainly concentrated in and around Deir Ez-Zur and Hassakah.
We won’t collapse
A senior SDF officer confirmed to The National that US-led coalition troops are still functional and operate joint patrols on a daily basis in the region.
The SDF is an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias and was founded in 2015, four years after the start of a revolution against Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. The rebellion has turned into a brutal armed civil war that killed more than 500,000 and displaced 13 million Syrians.
“The US-led coalition is crucial in degrading the capabilities of Islamic State remnants and their franchises with the same violent extremist ideology,” said Siamend Ali, a senior military leader at the SDF.
Mr Ali ruled out a repeat of what happened in Afghanistan, when the withdrawal of US troops led to the swift collapse of local armed forces.
“We have established ourselves over the past 10 years as an effective and autonomous force,” he said.
The SDF reportedly cut deals in 2019 with Russia and the Syrian government troops in anticipation of full US withdrawal.
The group aims at establishing self-rule in north-eastern Syria, but Turkey has launched several cross-border military operations against its autonomy ambitions and Ankara is also seeking to relocate about two million Syrian refugees on its soil (out of about 3.5 million) to a buffer zone inside Syria.
Ankara considers the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which is the backbone of the SDF, a terrorist organisation as it does the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Turkish troops have managed to occupy a few Kurdish towns west of the Euphrates, but the presence of the American troops to the west of the river is a major deterrent.
Counterterrorism and foreign policy experts say it is vital for the US to maintain its military foothold in north-eastern Syria.
“The main focus is keeping ISIS down and limiting the reach of Assad, Russia and Iran. That’s the primary mission right now, since as the US pragmatically recognises that ISIS can regenerate if left to its own devices," says Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at American Progress, where his work focuses on US national security strategy.
"In addition, US troops on the ground give us leverage in diplomacy to end or at least tamp down Syria’s civil war – not a whole lot of leverage, but more than the nothing we’d have otherwise. It's not clear to me that there is a diplomatic strategy on the part of the US to use this leverage, but that's nothing new.”
Mr Katulis says if the US decides to withdraw all the remaining troops unilaterally in the near future, allies and security partners would see it in the context of the Afghanistan debacle as auguring a wider American retreat from engagement in the world.
"And all the more so if it’s done in the same way the Biden administration pulled out of Afghanistan," he said. "In America, terrorism remains a top foreign policy priority, but foreign policy isn’t top priority in general."
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E456hp%20at%205%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E691Nm%20at%203%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E14.6L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh349%2C545%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
India Test squad
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
