The United States has more than doubled the number of troops it has in Syria to fight the Islamic State group — a dramatic increase that the Pentagon revealed, acknowledging that the additional troops have been there for months or even more than a year.
The U.S. has said for years that it has about 900 troops in Syria, but Maj. Gen. Pat Rider, a Pentagon spokesman, acknowledged that there are now about 2,000.
The Pentagon has been asked repeatedly about the U.S. presence in Syria since the chaotic ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8. It has not disclosed the increase and has instead repeated the figure of 900 additional troops.
Speaking at a Pentagon news conference, Rider said the additional forces have been in Syria “for at least months — it’s been going on for some time.” He said he had only just learned the new number and that the increase was not related to Assad’s ouster or any increase in attacks by or against Islamic State.
Pentagon officials say they are working to determine the timing of the increase and what exactly the additional forces will do.
Rider blamed the secrecy on “diplomatic considerations” and sensitivities, but declined to be more specific. There has long been friction between the United States and Syria’s neighbors — Turkey and Iraq — over the continued presence of American forces in Syria and the need to keep them at a certain level.
And Rider said he “is not looking” at any further adjustments to force numbers in the future. That could change, however, as President-elect Donald Trump has said he does not support increasing the U.S. military presence in Syria.
Rider told reporters that the increase in forces is temporary and is there to bolster U.S. operations against the Islamic State.
He said conventional and special operations forces from the U.S. military make up the bulk of the additional troops, the AP reports.
