WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States will provide moderate Syrian rebels with more ammunition within a few months, if the rebels make progress in the fight against the Islamic State, US Department of Defense spokesperson Elissa Smith told Sputnik on Thursday.
"As they follow through on commitments they make to take the fight to ISIL [Islamic State], we will provide additional support," Smith said. "We've said this will unfold over a matter of months and we will monitor their progress throughout."
On October 11, the Defense Department airdropped 50 tons of weapons to resupply anti-ISIL fighters in Syria.
On Wednesday, US authorities announced the US-trained and equipped Syrian Arab Coalition had retaken more than 150 square miles from the ISIL in the northeast of Syria.
"We will monitor the gains the groups we provide equipment to, the objectives they achieve, and as we see progress, we will deliver more," Smith confirmed.
Earlier on Thursday, US media reported that the United States and its allies intended to boost aid to Syrian opposition fighters, noting that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and allied intelligence agencies had intensified ammunition supplies to them.
However, Smith noted that the media report did not refer to the Defense Department.
On October 30, the White House announced it would deploy fewer than 50 additional Special Operations forces to Syria to assist in the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group.
