Particle.news

Download on the App Store

U.S. Begins Major Troop Reduction in Syria

Pentagon initiates conditions-based drawdown to cut forces from 2,000 to under 1,000 while maintaining counter-ISIS operations.

Overview

  • The U.S. military is reducing its troop presence in Syria by about half, targeting fewer than 1,000 personnel in the coming months.
  • Three of eight small outposts in northeastern Syria are being closed as part of the consolidation, withdrawing approximately 600 troops.
  • The reduction follows a December 2024 disclosure that U.S. forces in Syria had doubled to around 2,000 earlier in the year.
  • The Pentagon emphasizes that counterterrorism operations against ISIS will continue, with U.S. Central Command poised for strikes on remaining cells.
  • This drawdown reflects a shift in strategy after the 2019 territorial defeat of ISIS and the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024.