According to information from Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder, these additional troops are considered temporary forces, deployed to support the mission against gunmen of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).
At a press conference on December 19 (local time), Major General Ryder admitted that he did not know how long the 2,000 troops would be maintained, but it was likely to last at least several months and appear before the collapse of the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"I just learned this number today... As the one who told you there were 900 soldiers, I want to provide the most accurate information," he said.
When asked about the time of deployment of this number of troops, Mr. Ryder did not give a specific milestone but emphasized: "It can be said that the additional troops have been going on for at least many months."
For years, the US has publicly stated that it has 900 troops in Syria. Their main mission is to work with local forces to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State group, which seized large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014 before being pushed back.
The Biden administration has said the US military will remain in Syria. However, President-elect Donald Trump may decide to withdraw troops from Syria when he takes office on January 20, 2025. During his first term, Trump tried to withdraw troops from Syria but faced opposition from officials and ultimately kept some troops.
Earlier this month, Syrian opposition forces overthrew President Assad’s government and took control of the capital, Damascus. The US military continues to conduct airstrikes against IS militants.
This is not the first time in recent years that the Pentagon has had to adjust the number of troops deployed. In 2017, the US military revealed that there were 11,000 troops in Afghanistan, significantly more than the previously announced number.
