President Donald Trump's administration is withdrawing all forces from Syria as part of a strategic shift now that the country's new government is taking control of the fight against ISIS and other terror groups, according to US media reports.
The Wall Street Journal, quoting anonymous US officials, was the first to report that all American troops would be withdrawn, ending the more than decade-long mission in the country.
Reuters, quoting a US official, said the Trump administration is still ready to respond to ISIS threats in the region.
Centcom declined to comment for this story.
Last week, the Syrian army took control of Al Tanf, a key site in the country’s south-east. Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara agreed late last year to join the US-led global coalition to defeat ISIS, earning American sanctions relief and backing to take over Kurdish-controlled north-eastern areas.
The US has had a presence in Syria since 2015, supporting the Defeat ISIS coalition. ISIS's so-called caliphate, which controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq, was toppled two years later.
ISIS still retains a presence in Syria. In December, the group carried out an attack that killed two US Army soldiers and an interpreter in Palmyra, and US forces have struck more than 100 targets while capturing or killing more than 50 ISIS militants over the past two months.
