The United States says it has 2,000 soldiers in Syria, not 900 as previously announced Syrian war news

The Pentagon says the additional forces have been in Syria for some time, before the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, although they have not been publicly disclosed.

After years of telling the public that the United States had about 900 troops in Syria, the Pentagon revealed that there are nearly 2,000 troops there — double the previous estimate.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said additional US forces have been in Syria since before the ouster of the former president. Bashar al-Assad This month, without specifying a time frame.

We have regularly informed you that there are approximately 900 US troops deployed in Syria. “In light of the situation in Syria and the great interest, we recently learned that these numbers are higher,” Ryder said.

He added: “So, when I was asked to look into the matter, I learned today that, in fact, there are approximately 2,000 American soldiers in Syria.”

He added that there are 900 soldiers deployed long-term in Syria, while the rest are considered “temporary rotation forces.”

According to Ryder, the 1,100 soldiers, who had not been previously announced, have been in Syria “for some time.” When reporters asked for more details, a Pentagon spokesman said they had been deployed there for “at least” months.

The United States began sending troops to Syria in 2014 with the stated goal of… Defeating ISIS (ISIS), but US forces remained in the country after the organization was defeated on the ground in 2017.

Washington has allied itself with the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces, which now control large parts of eastern Syria.

However, Turkey, the US’s NATO partner, views the SDF as a threat to its national security due to its links to Kurdish armed organizations that it classifies as “terrorist” groups.

After opposition fighters seized western Syria and ousted Assad, they resumed fighting along Syria’s front lines Other parts of SyriaThe conflict was frozen for several months.

Syrian fighters backed by Turkey and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which dominates the new government in Damascus, have seized areas previously controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces over the past two weeks.

The possibility of an all-out war breaking out between the Syrian forces Supported by Türkiye The Syrian Democratic Forces raised questions about the future role of American forces in Syria.

Ryder said Thursday that there are no planned changes to the US military presence in the country.

“There are no plans to stop the ‘defeat ISIS’ mission. I mean, again, ISIS still maintains or poses a significant threat.”

In addition to its forces in eastern Syria, the United States said it was dealing directly with the Syrian Democratic Forces New authorities In Damascus, although it continues to officially classify Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham as a “terrorist” group.

Washington put forward a set of demands that it said it wanted to see in Syria, including non-sectarian rule.

“The transitional process and the new government must also support clear commitments to fully respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid to all those in need, and prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement last week: “Ensuring security is secured.” Any stockpile of chemical or biological weapons and destroy them safely.”

Meanwhile, Israel, one of the United States’ largest allies, is bombing Syrian military assets and extending its occupation beyond the Golan Heights in a land grab. Widely condemned Throughout the Middle East.