The Pentagon confirmed today that it has begun the process of military withdrawal from Syria, where they were fighting the jihadist Islamic State group, following the surprise announcement by President Donald Trump of his departure from the country.
“The process of our deliberate withdrawal from Syria has begun,” Colonel Sean Ryan, spokesman for the international coalition led by the United States, told Efe.
However, Ryan indicated that due to “operational safety issues” he avoided “offering specific dates, locations and troop movements.”
“Our area of responsibility has changed, but our mission to ensure the lasting defeat of the IS continues.”
The United States has nearly 2,000 troops deployed as part of the international coalition in northeastern Syria.
On December 19, Trump announced his decision to withdraw from Syria when he considered that the war against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) had ended.
The international coalition, led by the United States, is the main ally of the Democratic Syria Forces (FSD), an alliance of mostly Kurdish militias, which since last September carried out an offensive against the last strongholds of the radical group in the Arab republic.
The decision of the exit of the American troops was not well received by the FSD, which consider that the terrorist group has not been completely defeated and could resurface with the withdrawal of the coalition.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised on Thursday in a speech in Cairo that he will not leave his Arab allies alone in his fight against terrorism despite the withdrawal of his troops from Syria.
Pompeo did not set deadlines for the withdrawal of troops from Syria, but noted that the offensive led by Washington has already managed to snatch 99% of the territory that it dominated in Syria and Iraq in 2014, when it proclaimed its caliphate. (EFEUSA ) .-
