Pentagon says the extra forces have been in Syria for ‘some time’, earlier than fall of President Bashar al-Assad, although they weren’t publicly disclosed.
After years of telling the general public that the US has about 900 troops in Syria, the Pentagon has revealed there are roughly 2,000 troopers there — double the earlier estimate.
Chatting with reporters on Thursday, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder stated the extra US forces have been in Syria since earlier than the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad this month, although he didn’t specify a timeframe.
“We’ve got been briefing you repeatedly that there are roughly 900 US troops deployed to Syria. In gentle of the scenario in Syria and the numerous curiosity, we lately realized that these numbers had been larger,” Ryder stated.
“So, requested to look into it, I realized right now that, the truth is, there are roughly 2,000 US troops in Syria.”
He added that there are 900 troopers on long-term deployment in Syria whereas the remainder are “thought-about non permanent rotational forces”.
In keeping with Ryder, the beforehand undeclared 1,100 troopers have been in Syria “for some time”. Pressed for additional particulars by reporters, the Pentagon spokesperson stated that they had been deployed there for months “at a minimal”.
The US began sending troops to Syria in 2014 with the said goal of defeating ISIL (ISIS), however US forces remained within the nation after the group’s territorial defeat in 2017.
Washington has allied itself with the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which now management giant elements of jap Syria.
Nonetheless, Turkiye, a NATO accomplice of the US, views the SDF as a menace to its nationwide safety over hyperlinks to Kurdish armed organisations it labels as “terrorist” teams.
After opposition fighters captured western Syria and toppled al-Assad, they reignited combating alongside the entrance strains in different elements of Syria, the place the battle had been frozen for months.
Turkish-backed Syrian fighters and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which dominates the brand new authorities in Damascus, have captured areas beforehand held by the SDF over the previous two weeks.
The prospect of an all-out warfare between Syrian forces supported by Turkiye and the SDF has raised questions concerning the future position of US troops in Syria.
On Thursday, Ryder stated there aren’t any deliberate modifications to the US navy presence within the nation.
“There aren’t any plans to stop the ‘defeat ISIS’ mission. I imply, once more, ISIS continues to keep up or to pose a major menace,” he stated.
Past its troops in jap Syria, the US has stated it’s participating straight with the new authorities in Damascus, though it continues to formally label HTS as a “terrorist” group.
Washington has put ahead a set of calls for it stated it desires to see in Syria, together with non-sectarian governance.
“The transition course of and new authorities should additionally uphold clear commitments to totally respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the circulate of humanitarian help to all in want, stop Syria from getting used as a base for terrorism or posing a menace to its neighbors, and be certain that any chemical or organic weapons stockpiles are secured and safely destroyed,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated in an announcement final week.
In the meantime, one of many US’s high allies, Israel, has been bombing Syrian navy property and increasing its occupation past the Golan Heights in a land seize extensively condemned throughout the Center East.
