The U.S. military plans to consolidate its presence in Syria in the coming weeks and months, potentially cutting its troop numbers in the country by half, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Friday.
The U.S. military has about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria across a number of bases, mostly in the northeast. The troops are working with local forces to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria but was later pushed back.
U.S. forces in Syria conduct counterterrorism missions and help maintain regional stability.
Though troop numbers have decreased over the years, U.S. military personnel continue to play a key role in intelligence sharing, training, and advising partner forces.
“This deliberate and conditions-based process will bring the U.S. footprint in Syria down to less than a thousand U.S. forces in the coming months,” Parnell said in a statement.
Consolidation Under Joint Task Force
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the consolidation under a Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve – to select locations in Syria.
Parnell said U.S. Central Command will remain poised to continue strikes against what is left of ISIS in Syria and work with coalition partners to keep pressure on ISIS and respond to any other terrorist threats.
The United States has recently sent aircraft, including B-2 bombers, warships and air defence systems to reinforce the Middle East.
Trump’s Warning To Iran
Trump said on Monday that he believes Iran is intentionally delaying a nuclear deal with the United States and that it must abandon any drive for a nuclear weapon or face a possible military strike on Tehran’s atomic facilities.
The Islamist-led government in Syria that took over after Bashar Assad was ousted in December has sought to rebuild Syria’s ties in the region and further afield.
(With inputs from Reuters)
