US Forces in Syria Double to 2,000, Pentagon Confirms
After months of maintaining a much lower troop count, the Pentagon revealed on Thursday that 2,000 US soldiers are currently deployed in Syria, more than double the previously stated figure of 900.
When asked about the Defense Department’s failure to alert the public to the surge during a press briefing, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters that he was personally unaware of the increase until that morning.
“Part of the explanation is the sensitivity from a diplomatic and operational security standpoint,” he explained, adding, “Given the difference in what we’ve been briefing and what the actual number is, I just felt that it was important to get you that information.”
Ryder also emphasized that the additional troops are in Syria on a “temporary” basis to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State, also known as Daesh, and is unrelated to the December ousting of President Bashar Assad by rebel forces.
The US troops are based across Syria, including al-Tanf near the Iraq border, working alongside the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to combat Daesh remnants and safeguard detention facilities housing fighters and their families.
Pentagon officials have previously highlighted the risks of radicalization in these displacement camps, while as of May 2024, the largest of these camps, al-Hol, still housed 42,700 detainees, most of whom are women and children.
In addition to the 2,000 American troops in Syria, there are another 2,500 known American troops stationed in neighboring Iraq as part of the US-led coalition forces.