US Expects to Recapture Syrian Territories Held by Daesh Within Weeks - Official
Late last year, US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, with the White House later stating that the process had already begun. However, no concrete dates have been disclosed so far.
US-backed forces will recapture the remaining Daesh* territory in Syria within a couple of weeks, according to acting Defence Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan.
The "disciplined" US withdrawal from Syria is still in its early stages, the acting the defence secretary stated.
Speaking further, the senior official said that the US was in early stages with regards to its announced military pullout from Syria.
"In terms of the withdrawal, [we are in] early stages," Shanahan said at the Pentagon. "We are on a deliberate, coordinated, disciplined withdrawal."
The statement comes after Pentagon spokesman Sean Robertson told Sputnik that the US troop numbers in Syria "will fluctuate" during the withdrawal process when he was asked to comment on reports that Washington had sent additional troops to the country.
Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations. In late 2017, victory over Daesh was declared in Syria and Iraq. Certain territories in the two countries are still being cleared from militants.
International efforts are focusing on reaching a political settlement in Syria, the country's reconstruction, and the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
- Source : Sputnik News
