{"id":36668,"date":"2019-10-15T13:58:14","date_gmt":"2019-10-15T13:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/10\/15\/russian-and-syrian-troops-fill-void-as-us-pulls-troops-out-of-manbij-syria\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:15:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:15:53","slug":"russian-and-syrian-troops-fill-void-as-us-pulls-troops-out-of-manbij-syria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/15\/russian-and-syrian-troops-fill-void-as-us-pulls-troops-out-of-manbij-syria\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian and Syrian troops fill void as US pulls troops out of Syria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. forces have played the role of peacekeeper in the Syrian city of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2017\/03\/14\/u-s-and-russian-troops-are-now-in-the-same-syrian-city\/\" target=_blank>Manbij <\/a>since its Kurdish-led partner force liberated the city from ISIS fighters in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turkish threats to \u201cliberate\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2018\/04\/17\/us-forces-remain-near-manbij-isis-has-moved-on\/\" target=_blank>Manbij<\/a> despite the removal of ISIS fighters from the city years ago forced joint patrols between Russian, U.S. and Turkish forces to keep the peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That peace could could soon melt away as Col. Myles B. Caggins III, the spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, announced Tuesday the U.S. had pulled its forces out of the Syrian city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russian and Syrian troops have reportedly stepped up to fill the void of the vacating U.S. forces. Meanwhile, most U.S. forces in Syria are pulling out of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/10\/14\/us-forces-scramble-for-syria-exit-as-trump-announces-sanctions-on-turkey\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"190\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1175966735.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US forces scramble for Syria exit as Trump announces sanctions on Turkey<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Targeting Turkey\u2019s economy, President Donald Trump announced sanctions aimed at restraining the Turks\u2019 assault against Kurdish fighters and civilians in Syria \u2014 an assault Turkey began after Trump announced he was moving U.S. troops out of the way.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A U.S. official told The Associated Press that the approximately 1,000 U.S. troops being withdrawn from northern Syria will reposition in Iraq, Kuwait and possibly Jordan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The official spoke to the AP on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive planning for a U.S. pullout amid heavy fighting between Turkish and Syrian Kurdish forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The official said the American troops have pulled out of the Manbij area, where U.S. outposts were set up in 2017. Troops are consolidating their positions to prepare to fly out of the country soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The official says U.S. troops based in Iraq could conduct cross-border operations against the Islamic State group in Syria as they did before creating the now-abandoned partnership with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/middle_east\/syria-says-government-soldiers-enter-manbij-after-us-troops-withdraw\/2019\/10\/15\/d494405a-eeb8-11e9-bb7e-d2026ee0c199_story.html\" target=_blank>Washington Post<\/a>, Russia announced its forces were patrolling between Syrian and Turkish troops near Manbij.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1061\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1175954011.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"Turkish troops\" class=\"wp-image-44516\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1175954011.jpg.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1175954011.jpg.jpg?resize=300,212 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1175954011.jpg.jpg?resize=768,543 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1175954011.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,724 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Turkish troops walk alongside an armoured personnel carrier through the town of Tukhar, north of Syria&#8217;s northern city of Manbij, on Oct. 14, 2019, as Turkey and it&#8217;s allies continues their assault on Kurdish-held border towns in northeastern Syria. (Aref Tammawi\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Syrian state run media SANA reported Monday that Syrian forces had also entered the city of Manbij.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Syrian regime forces have been streaming toward the Syria-Turkey border following an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces to help thwart Turkish operations targeting Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, the U.S. military referred to its patrols in Manbij as \u201creassurance and deterrence\u201d to help keep the peace between combative allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/14\/the-end-of-an-era-60000-strong-us-trained-sdf-partner-force-crumbles-in-a-week-under-heavy-turkish-assault\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1068995098.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The end of an era: 60,000 strong US-trained SDF partner force crumbles in a week under heavy Turkish assault<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The U.S.-trained force has been abandoned by its American partners and is under sustained assault by Turkish forces and their ragtag crew of proxy fighters \u2014 some who have reportedly fought under ISIS and al-Qaida banners.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the U.S. out of the picture, the stage is set for a potential bloody conflict between the major players in Syria\u2019s civil war that has raged since 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced Monday that the White House had ordered a \u201cdeliberate withdrawal\u201d of U.S. forces from northeast Syria in an attempt to avoid \u201cbeing engulfed in a broader conflict.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a statement from the White House Monday President Donald Trump said that U.S. force leaving northeast Syria would \u201cnow redeploy and remain in the region to monitor the situation and prevent a repeat of 2014.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump also announced a small number of U.S. troops would remain at the al Tanf garrison near the Syria-Iraq border to help disrupt ISIS fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turkey launched military operations Oct. 9 against U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northern Syria. Turkey believes SDF fighters are an armed wing of the internationally designated terrorist group the Kurdistan Workers\u2019 Party or PKK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump on Monday said he would be signing an executive order to impose sanctions on current and former Turkish officials who have contributed to the \u201cdestabilizing actions in northeast Syria.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the U.S. out of the picture, the stage is set for a potential bloody conflict between the major players in Syria\u2019s civil war that has raged since 2011.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":73383,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,8,12,25,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3398],"class_list":["post-36668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"V4TX5LR5JZA2HHHZ6PT2Z2TFRM","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/15\/russian-and-syrian-troops-fill-void-as-us-pulls-troops-out-of-manbij-syria\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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