Up to 1,000 additional US troops could deploy to northern Syria under provisional plans drawn up by the Pentagon, a US defense official said on Wednesday.

 

The plans, which still need to be approved by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, would mark a significant uptick in US boots on the ground in Syria as part of the fight against ISIS.

 

Currently, the troop level is capped at 500 in Syria, but that number has become increasingly meaningless as commanders flow extra “temporary” forces in as needed –such as last week’s deployment of a Marine artillery battery near Raqa.

 

The actual number of American troops in the war-torn country is likely now between 800 and 900, and a US defense official said the new plans would allow for up to 1,000 more. “That’s one of the proposals that’s on the table for discussion,” the official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 

Possible deployment

The possible deployment was first reported by the Washington Post, which said the extra forces would come from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.

 

The official said the troops would not be in direct combat, but rather serve in support roles for any additional capabilities the military requires in northern Syria, where a US-led coalition is training and backing a local Kurdish-Arab alliance to fight ISIS.

 

Such missions could include additional artillery batteries and the use of rocket launchers known as HIMARS that can provide round-the-clock bombardment in the battle to recapture Raqa from ISIS. Trump has said he wants to quicken the defeat of ISIS and told the Pentagon to come up with a range of plans that could accomplish that goal.

 

The “United States does remain committed to finding a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to the Syrian conflict,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. “All of us know how hard that is.