Washington: About 500-600 US troops will stay in Syria, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley said in an interview with a local news broadcaster on Sunday.
“There are still Islamic State (IS) terrorists in the region. And unless pressure is maintained unless attention is maintained on that group, then there is a very real possibility that conditions could be set for a reemergence of ISIS,” Sputnik quoted Milley, as saying.
“The footprint will be small, but the objective will remain the same: the enduring defeat of ISIS,” added Milley.
The US General added that the number of troops would not exceed 1,000 but will stay within the range of 500-600.
President Donald Trump had announced on October 7 that the US has started pulling out troops from northern Syria.
Last month, Defence Secretary Mark Esper said that the US would withdraw around 1,000 more servicemen from the area where Turkey launched a military offensive on October 9 against the IS and Kurdish militia.