The Defense Department announced that the number of American troops in Syria has doubled to roughly 2,000, supporting efforts to fight ISIS. This increase occurred before the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The Pentagon press secretary, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, stated that the increase had been in effect for some time but did not provide a specific date. It was clarified that the boost in troops was not in response to recent events, such as the fall of Assad or the search for missing journalist Austin Tice.
The additional troops in Syria are focused on defeating ISIS and preventing the group from regrouping. Most of the forces are Army soldiers, although specific details about their missions were not disclosed. A defense official suggested that the actual number of American troops in Syria may have been higher than previously reported for years.
Ryder explained that 900 troops are on longer-term deployments of 9-12 months, while an additional 1,100 have been rotating into Syria for shorter periods of roughly 30-90 days. He attributed the delayed announcement of the higher troop count to his recent knowledge of the situation and the public interest in Syria.
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