The Pentagon has specified the number of U.S. military personnel in Syria

On the territory of Syria there are currently about 2 thousand U.S. troops, not 900, as previously claimed. Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said during a briefing for journalists on December 19.

"As you know, we have regularly briefed you that there are about 900 U.S. troops based in Syria. Today I learned that there are actually about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria," he said.

Ryder clarified that there were really only 900 U.S. military personnel in Syria during Bashar al-Assad's presidency. According to him, the additional US forces were sent to the Arab country to strengthen the "mission to defeat the IS" ("Islamic State", a terrorist organization banned in Russia).

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Earlier, on December 8, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis noted that the U.S. should withdraw all 900 military personnel from Syria for their own safety, as their presence there makes no sense.

On December 8, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after talks with the opposition, resigned as head of state and left the country, instructing a peaceful transfer of power. A national coalition of revolutionary and opposition forces in Syria said it was working to form a transitional authority. A referendum is expected to be held in the country.

Against the background of these events, the current American President Joe Biden said that Washington is ready to cooperate with the opposition in Syria in the process of transfer of power. According to him, the U.S. wants to make sure that the armed groups that came to power in the republic do not side with radicalism.

The situation in Syria escalated as a result of a major attack by armed groups in Aleppo and Idlib, which began on November 28 and led to the Syrian army's retaliation against the militants.