The Pentagon is expected to acknowledge as early as Monday that the U.S. has about 2,000 troops in Syria, according to a Reuters report.
The number does not represent an increase in troop levels in the country, but simply reflects a more accurate count. The official troop count in Syria currently given by the U.S. military is around 500.
U.S. troops in Syria are primarily supporting Syrian Democratic Forces fighting Islamic State militants in the country's north. The Pentagon is not expected to reveal the number of troops in Iraq, because of political sensitivities about U.S. forces in Iraq, Reuters reported.
The current official troop count under an accounting system known as the Force Management Level (FML) does not always reflect the U.S. commitment on the ground accurately, according to Reuters. That's because commanders often bring in temporary forces or hire more contractors.
Former President Barack Obama, whose administration implemented the FML, would raise the limits in Syria and Iraq from time to time, as the U.S. sought to beat back ISIS fighters.
The acknowledgement of the actual troops levels in Syria could come Monday, according to Reuters, which also noted that the announcement could be delayed.
The Hill
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