Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said the additional US forces have been in Syria since before the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad this month, though he did not specify a timeframe.
“So, asked to look into it, I learned today that, in fact, there are approximately 2,000 US troops in Syria.”
He added that there are 900 soldiers on long-term deployment in Syria while the rest are “considered temporary rotational forces
