BREAKING NEWS

US-led coalition confirms Marines deploy to Syria

BEIRUT - The US-led coalition against Islamic State confirmed on Thursday the deployment of additional US forces to Syria to accelerate the defeat of Islamic State in its Syrian base of operations at Raqqa city.
Coalition spokesman US Air Force Colonel John Dorrian said the additional forces would be working with local partners in Syria - the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Arab Coalition - and would not have a front line role.
The SDF includes the Kurdish YPG militia.
The additional forces that had arrived in "the last few days" comprised a Marines artillery unit and Army Rangers.
"We are talking about an additional 400 or so forces in total, and they will be there for a temporary period," Dorrian said by telephone. The deployment was on top of an existing 500 US forces already in Syria, he said.