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The United States will withdraw around 600 troops from Syria, leaving fewer than 1,000 to continue cooperating with Kurdish allies in the fight against the Islamic State group.
This was reported by AP, citing a U.S. official.
American forces are considered crucial not only in operations against ISIS but also as a buffer for Kurdish forces against Turkey, which views them as linked to terrorist groups.
President Donald Trump tried to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria during his first term, but he faced resistance from the Pentagon, which saw such a move as abandoning allies. This led to the resignation of former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
The withdrawal of 600 troops will return force levels to what they had been for years following a long campaign by the U.S. and its allies to defeat ISIS.
The U.S. had maintained around 900 troops in Syria to prevent a resurgence of ISIS militants and to block arms trafficking in southern Syria by Iran-backed militants transporting weapons through the region.
The number of American troops was increased to over 2,000 after the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023, when Iran-backed militants targeted U.S. forces and interests in the region in response to Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
In December 2024, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled the country. In the months since, Syrians displaced by over a decade of war have begun to return home, though the country remains unstable.
Israel has struck Syrian military targets, there are signs that the Islamic State group is attempting a resurgence, and Iran-backed militants in Syria continue to pose a threat to U.S. interests.
As a reminder, U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that Iran is stalling the conclusion of a new nuclear deal and has threatened a response.
