Out of 21 military bases owned by the International Coalition in Syria, 10 machines and engineering teams with 150 members withdraw and preparations for similar withdrawals from other bases
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from several reliable sources that the forces that withdrew during the past 24 hours from the northeastern countryside of al-Hasakah; towards the Iraqi side are US forces consist of 10 machines with teams of mine engineering, accompanied by 150 members, where they withdrew from al-Rmelan military base which includes a landing platform for helicopters, which was one of the first military bases established for the International Coalition on the Syrian territory after its military intervention in Syria on the 23rd of September 2014, and reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that similar withdrawals are expected to take place in the coming days and weeks in the form of small groups, which will withdraw sequentially from several bases and locations of the US Forces east of Euphrates River, the Syrian Observatory also learned that the land on which the American bases were built had been purchased from its former civilian owners for double their values, and the bases were heavily fortified in terms of construction, logistics, and security and other military aspects.
The Coalition has established at least 21 different bases in areas east of Euphrates and in Manbij area in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo at the west bank of the river including 6 major bases, these bases are distributed in the area of Ayn al-Arab (Kobani), Khrab Ishak, and Manbij in Aleppo Province, and Ein Issa, al-Raqqah, and al-Tabaqa in al-Raqqah Province, al-Shaddadi, al-Hool, Tal Tamr, Tal Baidar and Rmaylan in al-Hasaka Province, and al-Omar oilfield and al-Bahra in the countryside of Deir Ezzor. The major bases include airports for the landing and takeoff of planes, and some of them were built in the form of small bases, also the sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the bases are protected continuously through the aerial surveillance of warplanes in the sky area of the base, and through cars roaming the perimeter of the bases as well as fixed checkpoints scattered around the perimeter of these bases and airports, to protect them from any attacks Individually or collectively by the “Islamic State” organization or any other cells that seek to target the area.
Also the International Coalition through their committees on the ground in the east of Euphrates; are carrying out periodic meetings with the aim of developing institutions located in the east of Euphrates, where these committees provide logistical support, financial support, and equipment for the committees that requests their specific assistance, also these committees supervise the process of managing affairs of many service and administrative parties in an undeclared manner, and provide their contributions in developing the service management and organizing the work of the institutions supervising eastern areas of Euphrates.
Also the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the entry of more than thousands of trucks to the SDF-held areas since the beginning of August 2018, and the trucks carried military and logistic equipment, building substances and other materials, the Syrian Observatory monitored operations of the International Coalition during which it managed to transfer tens of its agents of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, who were operating within the “Islamic State” organization’s-controlled areas, where they were recovered through helicopter landings and then they were transported to Coalition headquarters east of Euphrates River.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago that the US Forces carried out their first withdrawal of the Syrian territory yesterday evening, Thursday, the 10th of January 2018, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: about 10 armored vehicles in addition to engineering machines have withdrawn yesterday evening from the US base in al-Rmelan area of al-Hasaka province, within the framework of the first implementation of the decision issued by the US President Donald Trump on the 19th of December 2018, where the Syrian Observatory published on that day that senior US officials informed senior leaders of the Syria Democratic Forces that; the US command intends to withdraw its forces from the entire area of east Euphrates and Manbij, which cause a great shock among SDF command, as this contradicts what is happening on the ground, where the reinforcements reached during the last 48 hours to the east of Euphrates area of fuel, military equipment, logistics, and mechanisms, also military reinforcements arrived to the military bases in Manbij and al-Omar oilfield, and the Kurdish Command considered that the withdrawal of US forces -if happened- as a stab in the back of the Syria Democratic Forces and YPG, who over the past months and years controlled the largest geographical area that used to be under the control of the “Islamic State” organization, which is the east of Euphrates area along with Manbij area, and a betrayal of the blood of thousands of fighters who were killed fighting the “Islamic State” Organization and their opponents.
This decision to withdraw from the east of Euphrates comes in conjunction with an increased state of alert among the Turkish Forces, on the border between the Tigris and Euphrates and near Manbij, as the end of ISIS enclave east of Euphrates River gets closer, after the arrival of large military reinforcements of SDF fighters from the Syrian north, Manbij area, and other areas at the east of Euphrates, also the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the rebel and Islamic factions operating under the command of Turkey, which are part of the “Olive Branch” and “Euphrates Shield” Operations, continue their preparations for the military operation Turkey is seeking to carry out east of Euphrates area along the border between the rivers of Tigris and Euphrates, where thousands of fighters are preparing to participate in the operation under the command and orders of the Turks, and the Syrian Observatory published yesterday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights received from reliable and intersected sources, that a state of alertness and military movements is taking places at the border side from the Turkish side and from the east of Euphrates, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: areas of east of Euphrates are witnessing a state of alert by the Syria Democratic Forces and YPG, along with military movements at the Turkish side in the light of the Turkish military threats of carrying out operation that targets east of Euphrates; supported by the opposition rebel and Islamic factions of “Olive Branch” and “Euphrates Shield” Operations, these movements come after a Turkish military mobilization in addition to mobilization by the Syria Democratic Forces on the borderline, in anticipation of any surprise attack.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 4th of January 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continuation of anticipation in Manbij area, for the situations to be completely stable in it, after the simultaneous withdrawal of forces of conflict, where reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the US Forces continue to run military patrols in Manbij area, while the regime forces continue to spread along the contact lines west of Manbij, between areas of control of Jaysh al-Thowwar and Manbij Military Council, and between the Turkish Forces and the rebel and Islamic factions loyal to them, amid continuous flight for warplanes of the International Coalition over Manbij area, and sometimes the pro-Turkey fighters of the “Euphrates Shield” Operation shoot on areas of presence of the forces controlling Manbij,
This anticipation comes after the withdrawal of the pro-Turkish forces for hundreds of members, pulling the regime forces for their members from the northern outskirts of Manbij, and the withdrawal of tens of opposition members of the Syria Democratic Forces, while the Syrian Observatory monitored yesterday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored cross-fire with medium and heavy machineguns between Turkish-backed factions on one hand, and Manbij Military Council which operates under the banner of the Syria Democratic Forces on the other, in the areas of Arab Hassan and Al-Mohsenli in the countryside of Manbij city in the north-eastern countryside of Aleppo, without information about human losses, in a scene that became usual and repeated recently, while the Syrian Observatory published today morning, Thursday, that it monitored a cautious calm in Manbij area and its vicinity, at the northeastern sector of Aleppo Province in the west of Euphrates River, this continued calm comes after the simultaneous withdrawal of hundreds of pro-Turkish fighters and tens of Syria Democratic Forces fighters away of Manbij, where reliable sources confirmed that after the withdrawal the area witnessed a cautious calm between the Turkish Forces and factions loyal to them, and between the forces of the Manbij Military Council and Jaysh al-Thowwar, amid cautious anticipation of the field developments in the coming days, while the Syrian Observatory published yesterday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from several reliable sources that fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces withdrew from Manbij area towards the east of Euphrates River area, and in details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: about 250 fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces in Manbij city and its villages have withdrawn on board of vehicles to the eastern side of Euphrates River, while hundreds of fighters of Manbij Military Council, Jaysh al-Thowwar, and other factions of the Syria Democratic Forces are still in the area with security forces, and it is not known whether this withdrawal came within the framework of the Russian – Turkish consensus or not, while this withdrawal followed the withdrawal of hundreds of fighters from the pro-Turkey factions to areas in the vicinity of Manbij countryside area, after they were withdrawn from areas of their presence in the vicinity of the clash fronts and then transferred to barracks In the area.
The Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from several reliable sources on the developments in Manbij area and the northeastern countryside of Aleppo, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: the pro-Turkish the rebel and Islamic factions withdrew all the members they brought from areas of “Euphrates Shield” and “Olive Branch” in the Syrian north, which is extending from the west of Euphrates to the borders of Iskenderun, and the sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that withdrawing the support that recently came to the vicinity of Manbij area; took place through transferring fighters to barracks in the vicinity of Manbij countryside in the northeastern sector of Aleppo countryside, where they were secured in barracks which are schools converted to military headquarters of the al-Jaysh al-Watani (The National Army) loyal to Turkey and supported by it, while reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the situation on the contact lines between the Turkish Forces and the factions loyal to them; and between the forces of Manbij Military Council and Jaysh al-Thowwar, have returned to what they used to be before the announcement of alert by Turkey to launch a military operation against Manbij area.