The U.S. began in January 2026 to move Islamic State prisoners from northeast Syria to Iraq, aiming to relocate about 7,000 detainees. The removal of the detainees could set the stage for further U.S. troop withdrawals from Syria. U.S. airstrikes against Islamic State are expected to continue in 2026. The U.S. military said that in the first two months of 2026 American forces had struck more than 100 targets with over 350 precision munitions, and had captured or killed more than 50 Islamic State fighters.

Excerpt from Michael R. Gordon et al, U.S. Vacates a Key Military Base in Syria, WSJ, Feb. 12, 2026