US Army will reduce troop numbers in Syria to less than a thousand

(Patria) - The US Army will consolidate its presence in Syria in the coming weeks and months in a move that could halve the number of troops it has in Syria, the main Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on Friday, Reuters reported.

The US Army has about two thousand soldiers in Syria in numerous bases, mainly in the northeast of the country.

The soldiers work with local forces to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State, which in 2014 occupied large parts of Iraq and Syria, but was later pushed back.

"This deliberate, conditions-based process will reduce the US footprint in Syria to less than a thousand US forces in the coming months," Parnell said in a statement.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the consolidation within the Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve to select locations in Syria.

Parnell said the US Central Command will remain ready to continue attacks on what remains of ISIS in Syria and work with coalition partners to maintain pressure on ISIS and respond to any other terrorist threats.

The United States recently sent aircraft, including B-2 bombers, warships and air defense systems to strengthen its presence in the Middle East.

Trump said on Monday that he believes Iran is deliberately delaying a nuclear deal with the United States and that it must abandon any aspiration for nuclear weapons or face a possible military strike on Tehran's nuclear facilities.

The Islamist-led government in Syria, which took power after Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December, has sought to restore Syria's ties in the region and beyond.