WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The spokesperson pointed out the deployment of US Army rangers in the city of Manbij and Marines artillery unit near the city of Raqqa are examples of such temporary deployments.
"The current number [of troops] there in Syria… is 503, but there are additional forces that the commander has the ability to bring in for short periods of time," Davis told reporters.
Earlier in the day, a source told Sputnik that a US Marine Corps unit has arrived in northern Syria.
Davis also noted that the Defense Department does not provide the specific number of the additional troops.
The marines will be supporting US partner forces on the ground that lead the offensive to liberate Raqqa from Daesh codenamed Operation Euphrates Rage. The operation was launched by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on November 5, 2016. The SDF was formed in 2015 as the defense force of northern Syria's de facto autonomous Rojava federation and is supported by the US-led coalition. The group is among the forces fighting Daesh and brings together Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian and Turkmen fighters, among others.
The news comes after the Pentagon was tasked to send US President Donald Trump options to accelerate the fight against Daesh.
