Additional 250 US Forces to Syria Unlikely to Be Engaged in Direct Fight

The additional 250 US personnel being deployed to Syria to fight Daesh insurgents in the region will likely not be engaged in direct combat, but will be providing support to local forces fighting the terrorist group, Pentagon spokesperson Peter Cook said during a press briefing on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — In October, the Obama administration announced it would deploy 50 advisors into Syria to advise and assist in the fight against Daesh terrorists.

"They'll be in support of local forces on the ground, the idea is that they will not be engaged in direct combat, they will not be on the front lines," Cook explained. "They will be providing support to those local forces that are taking the fight to ISIL."

The additional deployment of US forces to Syria was announced by President Barack Obama earlier on Monday. Cook explained that they will "defend themselves if they come under fire," adding that combat was "not the intent of this deployment."

Cook noted that the 250 forces would also help the US-led coalition get a better picture of the battlefield and improve intelligence and targeting assessment. The Pentagon spokesperson added that US personnel would be present in Syria for the "foreseeable future."

Asked about who the US personnel would work with specifically in Syria, Cook explained that they would work with Syrian Democratic forces and a "range of other groups," but noted that they would like to see more Syrian Arab fighters get more involved in the campaign.