More U.S. Troops In Syria And Iraq Than Believed

A new report from the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) has revealed that the United States has a significantly higher number of troops in Syria and Iraq than previously acknowledged. Pentagon officials have always maintained that officially, the U.S. has 503 troops in Syria and 5,262 in Iraq. Their ranks include special forces, trainers and advisers who are helping combat ISIS.

However, the new DMDC report shows that there are actually 1,720 troops in Syria and 8,892 in Iraq. The U.S. has maintained a troop presence in Iraq since its invasion back in 2003. It reached its peak during the surge in September 2007 when there were 168,000 troops in the country.