The U.S. military has about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria across a number of bases, mostly in the northeast. The troops are working with local forces to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria but was later pushed back.

The U.S. military is withdrawing hundreds of troops from Syria, a shift the Pentagon is framing as a “consolidation” that reflects the changing security environment in the country. “Recognizing

The end of the Assad era has reduced some threats, but the Islamic State has shown renewed strength in the country.