US, French Military Withdraw From Manbij Area in Northern Syria - SDF Source

"The US forces left Al-Qaziyah position in the town of Al-Shuyuh, east of Manbij, and from their position in the village of Al-Asheq near Tell Abiad, in the direction of the US base located in Ayn Issa in the Raqqa province, preparing complete withdrawal from Syria," the source said.

Turkey, Russia to Play Stronger Roles In Syria After US Troops Pullout - SNC

19 December 2018, 20:06 GMT

According to the source, the French military also left a number of their positions in the Manbij area in the province of Aleppo and in Ayn Issa in the province of Raqqa.

Earlier in the day, the White House announced removal of all service members currently on the ground in Syria, and the Pentagon said they have already started the process of returning US troops home. All State Department staff will evacuate from Syria within 24 hours, according to media reports.

'US Did Not Keep Its Promises': Erdogan Blasts Washington Over Manbij Roadmap

28 September 2018, 15:12 GMT

Syria has been in a state of conflict since 2011, with numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations fighting the Syrian Arab Army in an attempt to topple the government of Bashar Assad. Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is one of the guarantor states of the Syrian ceasefire.

The US-led coalition of more than 70 countries is conducting military operations against the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia) in Syria and Iraq. The coalition's operations in Iraq are conducted in cooperation with the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorized by the Syrian government or the UN Security Council.