The Pentagon says there are 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, more than double the number Pentagon officials have told reporters for months.
“We have regularly reported that approximately 900 U.S. troops are deployed to Syria,” said Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Ryder told reporters at a press conference Thursday. “We recently learned that the number was even higher, which is very interesting considering the situation in Syria.”
Ryder asked to look into the numbers and said he learned Thursday that there are about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria.
“It was explained to me that these additional forces are considered temporary rotational forces that deploy to meet changing mission requirements, while the core 900 deployed force is long-term deployed.” he continued. “As you know, in many of our deployments the numbers fluctuate from time to time, but given that this number is significantly higher than what we have been describing, we would like to share this information with you as soon as we find it. I thought so.” ”
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Pentagon spokesman Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters that the number of U.S. troops in Syria is more than double what was previously reported. (Department of Defense live feed)
The chief spokesperson said that, as in Syria, there are diplomatic and operational security considerations for deployments and associated troop numbers.
Ryder said troops were stationed in Syria before the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who defected to Russia earlier this month, ending a nearly 14-year struggle to retain power in his country. and contributed to expanding the defeat of ISIS's mission.
After learning of the changes in troop numbers, Fox News' Pentagon correspondent Jennifer Griffin pressed Ryder for revisions to troop numbers and timing.
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People gather in Umayyad Square in Damascus, Syria, on December 8, waving guns to celebrate the fall of the Syrian regime. (Ali Haji Suleiman/Getty Images)
“This is more than double the number of troops we've been told for a long time. So does this mean it's been going on for months? Years?” Griffin asked. “Is this something that just happened this summer? We need a deadline.”
“Well, I think it's fair to say it's going to take at least a few months,” Ryder said. “I'll go back and take a look. But it's been… yeah, it's been going on for a while.”
The news of the surge in troops to Syria comes amid an unusually high level of interest in the region, especially after the fall of the Assad regime.
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DAMASCUS, SYRIA – MAY 3: Then-Syrian President Bashar seen during the signing of the Comprehensive Program on Strategic and Long-Term Cooperation between Iran and Syria on May 3, 2023 in Damascus, Syria. President Al Assad. (Borna News/Matin Ghasemi/Axonline ATP Images/Getty Images)
Since the Syrian president defected to Russia on December 8, attacks by Turkish forces against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have increased. In an interview with Fox News this month, SDF commander General Mazloum Abdi warned that if the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were to come under attack: Kurdish fighters must flee and ISIS will return.
He also said that half of the fighters guarding the ISIS camp had to withdraw.
General Mazloum said: “All prisons are still under our control. But the prisons and camps are in a critical situation. Who is protecting them? They are leaving and we have to protect our families. Because it won't happen,” he said. “One example is something like the ISIS Raqqa prison, where about 1,000 former ISIS fighters are held. The number of guards there has been cut in half, leaving them in a vulnerable position. There is.”
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Fox News previously reported that the U.S. has 900 troops deployed in eastern Syria, but that number is now around 2,000, following attacks by the Turkish military, which views the Kurds as a terrorist threat. It said it would likely have to leave if allied Kurdish fighters withdraw.
