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Translated by: Shkëlzen Dema
- April 18, 2025 11:10 am
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The United States will withdraw about 600 troops from Syria, leaving fewer than 1,000 troops to work with Kurdish allies to counter the Islamic State group, a US official said on Thursday. the AP news agency reported.
US troops have not only been critical in operations against the Islamic State but have also served as a bulwark for Kurdish forces against Turkey, which considers them linked to terrorist groups.
During his first term, US President Donald Trump tried to withdraw all troops from Syria, but there was resistance from the Pentagon because it was seen as an abandonment of allies and led to the resignation of former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.
The move of 600 troops would return force levels to where they have been for years, as the U.S. and its allies waged a multi-year campaign to defeat ISIS. The U.S. has kept about 900 troops in Syria to ensure that ISIS militants do not regain momentum, but also as a deterrent to prevent arms trafficking by Iranian-backed militants across southern Syria.
The number of US troops has increased to more than 2,000 following the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel, as Iranian-backed militants have targeted US troops and interests in the region in response to Israel's bombing of Gaza.
