Local news sources, including the Syrian-based North Press Agency are reporting that the U.S.-led Global Coalition against ISIS has begun constructing a military base in the city center of Kobani, northern Syria.
Kurdish journalist Mustafa Al-Ali reported that a convoy of roughly 50-70 trucks carrying logistical reinforcements and construction materials arrived in Kobani on Thursday. The convoy included prefabricated rooms, surveillance cameras, trench-digging machines, cement blocks, and fuel tanks, according to the outlet. The materials were transported to a designated site, a hotel in the city center, where construction is underway.
Breaking :US forces start building a military base in the city center of Kobani. pic.twitter.com/YgqXFn65dx
— Mustafa Al-Ali (@Mustafa_Alali2) January 2, 2025
Construction work of the international @coalition base in Kobani pic.twitter.com/RTJENvK7Fj
— Hoshang Hasan (@HoshangHesen) January 2, 2025
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed the convoy’s movement, noting it traveled along the Al-Hasakah–Raqqa road, escorted by SDF vehicles. SOHR sources added that additional reinforcements, including military personnel, weapons, armored vehicles, and radar systems, are expected to arrive soon.
The establishment of the new base comes as tensions and firefights between the SDF and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army continue to escalate. Clashes between the SDF and Turkey-backed rebel groups have intensified since late November, when the rebels launched a campaign to capture Kobani and the nearby Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates River. Despite the support of Turkish warplanes, the rebels have so far failed to secure these objectives.
video: in English #SDF Arab fighter explains the current war situation around #Manbij against #Turkey-backed mercenaries
We have translated this video from #Arabic to English. For anyone who wants to watch the original video in Arabic, I will upload the video to the first… pic.twitter.com/icXpJSKUXw
— Botin Kurdistani (@kurdistannews24) January 2, 2025
Ankara has stated its intent to continue military operations in northern Syria until the SDF is disarmed, citing security concerns. The SDF, regarded as a key ally of the U.S. in the fight against ISIS, controls significant territories in northeastern and eastern Syria, encompassing about a quarter of the country’s land.
The U.S. previously withdrew from Kobani in 2019 during Turkey’s military operations in the region. However, the Coalition has since increased its overall presence in the region, reportedly deploying 14 cargo planes with military equipment and soldiers, as well as over 230 military vehicles, to strategic locations, including Al-Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor, and Raqqa.
In mid-December, General Brooks, commander of the Global Coalition in the Middle East, emphasized that areas east of the Euphrates River are protected under international agreements. He stated that the Coalition remains committed to preventing instability in the region.
