US doubles troops stationed in Syria

The Pentagon said on December 19 that there are currently 2,000 US troops stationed in Syria, more than double the 900 soldiers reported in recent times.

US Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder said he had just received updated statistics on December 19. For many years, the US has had 900 soldiers stationed in Syria, working with local forces to prevent the rise of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).

Mr. Ryder did not specify when the number of US troops in Syria increased to 2,000, but said "it could have happened several months ago and before the collapse of the government of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad," Reuters reported.

Former Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley (left) talks with US soldiers in Syria in 2023

“The additional troops are considered a temporary presence to support the mission against IS fighters,” said Pat Ryder.

The Biden administration has said US forces will remain in Syria, but that could change once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. During his first term, Trump wanted to withdraw troops from Syria entirely but faced opposition, leaving hundreds of troops stationed there.

Also related to the situation in Syria, Reuters reported on December 19 that Russian President Vladimir Putin, at his annual press conference held on the same day, made his first statements about Syria since Mr. al-Assad was overthrown.

Putin said he had not met Mr. al-Assad since the former Syrian president flew to Moscow but planned to. He also rejected the view that the fall of the regime of Mr. al-Assad, Moscow’s ally, would mean the failure of Russia after nine years of involvement in Syria. The Russian leader asserted that the military intervention in Syria since 2015 had helped prevent Syria from becoming a hotbed of terrorism.

Mr. Putin also accused Israel of recent military operations when it advanced into the Israel-Syria buffer zone in the Golan Heights, saying that Tel Aviv was the "main beneficiary" of the current situation.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-tang-gap-doi-binh-si-dong-tai-syria-185241220065419481.htm