US: 200 more troops to be deployed to Syria

By Ayse Humeyra Atilgan

ISTANBUL (AA) - United States Defense Secretary Ash Carter has announced Saturday that an additional 200 troops will be deployed to Syria for the Raqqah operation against Daesh.

Ash Carter made the announcement in Bahrain at an annual security forum for the Middle East.

"To ensure the success of isolating Raqqah, generate sufficient local forces to seize Raqqah, and deny ISIL [Daesh] sanctuary beyond Raqqah, I can tell you today that the United States will deploy approximately 200 additional U.S. forces to Syria, including special operations forces trainers, advisors, and explosive ordnance disposal teams," said Carter.

"This latest commitment of additional forces within Syria is another important step in enabling our partners to deal ISIL a lasting defeat," Carter said.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) also tweeted Saturday that 203 U.S. special operations forces "will in part directly assist NATO ally Turkey in the counter-ISIL fight".

Carter said those 200 additional forces will join the 300 U.S. special operations forces already in Syria, which would "continue organizing, training, equipping, and otherwise enabling capable, motivated, local forces to take the fight to ISIL".

"The inevitable collapse of ISIL’s control over Mosul and Raqqah will certainly put ISIL on a path to a lasting defeat," Carter said. "but there will still be much more to do after that to make sure that, once defeated, ISIL stays defeated."

Last month, the Pentagon announced that the U.S.-led anti-Daesh coalition was planning to launch operations to isolate the Syrian city of Raqqa "within a matter of weeks".

Turkey's role in a possible Raqqah operation has also been high on the agenda.

Carter said last week that the U.S. and Turkey were deliberating the "final seizure of Raqqah".