The United States is planning to withdraw approximately 600 troops from Syria, significantly reducing its military presence on the ground.
According to an American official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the details have not yet been publicly announced, the U.S. will leave fewer than 1,000 troops in Syria to continue cooperating with Kurdish allies in the fight against the Islamic State extremist group, Associated Press reports.
American forces have played a critical role not only in operations against IS militants but also as a buffer between Kurdish forces and the Turkish military. Turkey considers the YPG—the main Kurdish force in Syria—to be linked to terrorist organizations, and the U.S. presence has served as a deterrent to escalation.
It is worth noting that during his first term, former President Donald Trump sought a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. However, he faced strong opposition from the Pentagon. The move was seen as abandoning allies and led to the resignation of then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
With this latest withdrawal, the U.S. military presence in Syria will return to previous levels, similar to those during the height of the U.S.-led coalition’s campaign against the Islamic State. Until now, the U.S. has maintained roughly 900 troops in Syria, with the mission not only to prevent the resurgence of IS but also to limit Iran’s influence and stop weapons trafficking by Tehran-backed militias in southern Syria.
