Pentagon says it doubled the number of US troops in Syria before Assad’s fall

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says the United States doubled the number of forces in Syria to fight the Islamic State group before the overthrow of President Bashar Assad’s government. The U.S. has said 900 troops were in Syria, but Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, announced on Thursday that 2,000 are there. He said the increase in forces was temporary and they are there to augment the U.S. operations against the Islamic State group.