Around 200 US Troops To Remain In Syria after Pullout: White House

By Staff, Agencies

The US military will keep around 200 troops in Syria after US President Donald Trump's pullout from the war-torn country, the White House said Thursday.

"A small peace-keeping group of about 200 will remain in Syria for a period of time," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

The announcement came amid fierce criticism of Trump's decision to withdraw America's 2,000 or so troops from Syria by April 30, with members of his own Republican Party blasting the move.

In December, Trump ‘declared victory’ over Daesh [the Arabic acronym for terrorist ‘ISIS/ISIL’ group] in Syria, even though thousands of terrorists remain and fighting continues around their last holdout.

Sanders did not provide additional details, but the troops' "peace-keeping" designation could pave the way for European allies to commit forces for such a mission.