BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:15 A.M.) – A key American military base in Syria’s southwestern desert region has been destroyed by withdrawing United States and Coalition-backed Free Syrian Army forces.

The installation in question is the Zakaf Base which was established earlier this year in southeastern Homs near the Iraqi border.

The Zakaf Base served as a secondary Coalition garrison to the more important al-Tanf Base further west of it. Here the Coalition trained Free Syrian Army mercenaries and oversaw their operations in southwestern Syria.

According to reports, neither the United States nor the Free Syrian Army plans to use the Zakaf Base anymore and in the process of abandoning it have also chosen to destroy it in order to prevent the garrison’s utilization by any other armed party.

The official reason for the withdrawal of American and Free Syrian Army forces has not been stated, although it is likely linked to a recent agreement been the US, Russia and Jordan that will eventually see the full withdraw of Coalition troops from southern Syria and, in theory, the surrender of militant-held areas in the region to the Syrian Arab Army.