From Deir Ezzor to Hasakah: The Rise of U.S. Military Activity at Qasrek Base
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the U.S. military presence in Syria has undergone a series of strategic shifts—particularly after the Trump administration announced its intention to reduce troop levels. While some bases have witnessed withdrawals in recent months, closer examination reveals an opposite trend taking shape: a rapid expansion and intensification of operations at the Qasrak base on the outskirts of Hasakah. The pressing question is what these movements reveal about Washington’s strategy in northeastern Syria—and, more specifically, what is unfolding at Qasrek and other American installations in Deir ez-Zor?
Qasrak Base, located in northern Hasakah province near the town of Tal Tamer, functions as a joint facility between the Global Coalition against ISIS and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Covering an area of 1.8 square kilometers, the base was constructed in late 2017 and early 2018 on elevated agricultural land. The hill on which the base sits is locally known by the names “Jabal Ghol” and “Jabal Qalayeb.”
Situated at geographic coordinates 36.706242, 40.511955, the Qasrak base lies roughly 30 kilometers from the center of Hasakah city and 33 kilometers from the Turkish border. Its 1.7‑kilometer runway is capable of accommodating military transport and cargo aircraft. As a strategic and logistical hub, Qasrek supports coalition operations in coordination with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and oversees the main supply routes linking Hasakah and Deir Ezzor.
Significant construction and expansion activities were first observed in early 2025, concentrated across three main sections. The eastern sector saw the most extensive work: land was leveled and covered with concrete at two separate points, likely in preparation for new facilities or warehouses intended for equipment and logistical supplies. The larger site measures approximately 193 by 94 meters, while the smaller one is about 84 by 60 meters.
In addition to satellite imagery, multiple videos have documented the surge of activity at this base, including the movement of vehicles and convoys. The earliest footage, released by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) in early 2025, showed heavy machinery and bulldozers, described as “expansion operations at the base.” Analysis of visible structures and geographic features further confirmed that the location was indeed the Qasrek base.
Later, on September 28, 2025, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) released a video showing military convoys belonging to the Global Coalition moving toward the base. On October 18, 2025, another video depicted several coalition trucks carrying military and logistical equipment along the route from the al‑Walid border crossing toward the base.
In addition to ground movements, aerial activity at the base has increased significantly, with military transport aircraft landing on multiple occasions. Compared to previous years, this level of operations is unprecedented; prior to Assad’s fall, the base had only limited air traffic. Notable examples include an American cargo plane documented by SOHR on May 24, 2025, and another coalition transport aircraft recorded on July 23, 2025. Furthermore, on October 18, 2025, Syria Now reported that a large American cargo plane, escorted by helicopters from the Iraqi border, landed at the base. Taken together, these developments indicate that the Global Coalition is actively redeploying forces at Qasrek, likely transforming it into a key military logistics hub in northeastern Syria.
Activities in Deir Ezzor
The expansion and intensification of activity has not been limited to the Qasrak base. Parallel, though distinct, developments have also been observed in Deir ez‑Zor—particularly at U.S. bases located in the al‑Omar oil field and the Conoco gas field. Alongside the rapid growth of Qasrak, satellite imagery shows American forces withdrawing from Conoco, al‑Omar, and the base near Green Village on the outskirts of Deir Ezzor.
Photographs taken since early 2025 reveal extensive relocation of equipment and the evacuation of facilities at these sites. Reports first published in May 2025 indicated that the Pentagon intended to transfer forces from al‑Omar and Conoco in Deir ez‑Zor to Qasrek and al‑Shaddadi in Hasakah, thereby reducing the U.S. military presence in the region to fewer than 1,000 troops.
Summary
Satellite imagery shows that between January and October 2025, U.S. forces withdrew from the Conoco, al‑Omar, and Green Village bases in the Deir Ezzor countryside. At the same time, Qasrak base near Hasakah witnessed rapid engineering and logistical expansion from July 2025 onward, including the construction of new facilities and the repeated arrival of supply convoys. These developments appear to have effectively transformed Qasrak into the primary command and supply hub for U.S. forces in northeastern Syria.
Comment