US to stay in Syria despite attacks by Iran-backed militants

The US has announced that it will stay in Syria, despite a series of recent attacks on its troops by Iran-aligned militant groups, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said during an interview on CBS's Face the Nation program.

Kirby said that the US had responded swiftly to the latest attack and had retaliated against the militants and remained committed to its mission to defeat ISIS in the country, despite the ongoing attacks. He said that the US had under 1,000 troops in Syria who were focused on that mission, and that the President was committed to keeping those troops there.

“Here's what's not going to change, the mission in ISIS is not going to change. We're going to stay at that task,” he said.

Kirby's comments come after the head of Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie, testified earlier in the week that there had been 78 attacks by Iran-backed groups against Americans since 2021. The latest attack, which killed a US contractor and wounded several US troops, prompted a swift response from the US, which launched airstrikes against the militants responsible. The US has also warned Iran against further attacks, saying that it will hold the country responsible for any harm to US personnel or facilities.