"U.S. Troop Presence in Syria Doubled Prior to Assad's Overthrow, Says Pentagon"

The U.S. doubled the number of forces in Syria to counter ISIS before the fall of Bashar Assad's government. Here, a U.S. Black Hawk flies during a mission in the CENTCOM area of operations in 2022. (Maj. Karl R. Cain II/U.S. Army)

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The United States more than doubled its troop deployment in Syria — increasing from 900 to approximately 2,000 — ahead of the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's government, the Pentagon revealed on Thursday, marking the first public acknowledgment of the surge.

In an unusual move, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder began the regular Thursday briefing with the disclosure.

"Today, I was informed that there are, in fact, approximately 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria," he stated.