US to reduce number of troops in Syria, officials say

The Trump administration has decided to reduce the number of US troops in Syria, officials and a source familiar with the planning said on Tuesday.

In December, the Pentagon revealed that there were around 2,000 US troops in Syria, about 1,100 more than it had previously disclosed. At the time, the Biden administration said the fluctuation in the number of troops was in part due to the fall of the Assad regime.

The new plans are expected to be announced in the coming days, and they will reduce the total number of troops to around 1,000.

The number of US military bases in Syria will also be reduced.

A US defense official said that the Pentagon routinely reallocates forces based on operational needs and contingencies when asked about the planned withdrawal announcement.

“These movements demonstrate the flexible nature of US global defense poster and US capability to deploy worldwide on short notice to meet evolving security threats,” the official said.

CBS News was first to report that the US would be downsizing its troop presence in Syria.

The US has had a partnership with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for years that it sees as vital in the fight against ISIS. It is unclear what the new arragenment means for American support to the SDF.