US to reduce military footprint in Syria, officials say

The Trump administration has decided to reduce the number of US troops in Syria, officials and a source familiar with the planning said on Tuesday.

In December, the Pentagon revealed that there were around 2,000 US troops in Syria, about 1,100 more than it had previously disclosed. At the time, the Biden administration said the fluctuation in the number of troops was in part due to the fall of the Assad regime.

The new plans are expected to be announced in the coming days, and they will reduce the total number of troops to around 1,000.

Al Arabiya English understands that the number of US military bases in Syria will also be reduced.

A US defense official told Al Arabiya English that the Pentagon routinely reallocates forces based on operational needs and contingencies when asked about the planned withdrawal announcement.

“These movements demonstrate the flexible nature of US global defense poster and US capability to deploy worldwide on short notice to meet evolving security threats,” the official said.

CBS News was first to report that the US would be downsizing its troop presence in Syria.

The United States has maintained a partnership with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for several years, viewing it as crucial in the fight against ISIS. It is currently unclear what the new arrangement entails for American support of the SDF. However, sources familiar with the plans indicate that the Kurdish forces will continue to oversee the ISIS prisons within the country, which hold tens of thousands of ISIS fighters and their family members.

Beyond Syria, the US has approximately 2,500 troops in Iraq, 3,500 in Jordan, and nearly 2,000 in Turkey. Al Arabiya English could not confirm where the servicemembers being pulled from Syria would deploy.

In a deal reached between Baghdad and the Biden administration, the US would consolidate its bases in Iraq and reduce the number of troops stationed there. However, after the fall of the Assad regime, Iraq has been pleading with the US to delay its transition. No decisions have been made yet, officials said.