UNITED STATES: US troops ”to stay in Syria until IS defeated”

The White House has said the US military mission in Syria is coming to a “rapid end”, but not announced a timetable for a full troop withdrawal. A statement said the Islamic State (IS) group was almost completely destroyed, and that the US would consult its allies regarding future plans. President Donald Trump declared last […]

The White House has said the US military mission in Syria is coming to a “rapid end”, but not announced a timetable for a full troop withdrawal.

A statement said the Islamic State (IS) group was almost completely destroyed, and that the US would consult its allies regarding future plans.

President Donald Trump declared last week that the US would “be coming out of Syria very soon”. But advisers reportedly persuaded him that would risk a jihadist resurgence.

The US has about 2,000 personnel on the ground in eastern Syria supporting an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

With the help of US-led coalition air strikes, SDF fighters have captured tens of thousands of square kilometres of territory from IS over the past three years.