Report: Pentagon drafting plans for US troop withdrawal from Syria

The US military is developing plans for the withdrawal of all US troops from Syria, US broadcaster NBC reported on Wednesday, citing anonymous Pentagon sources.

NBC said the Department of Defense is considering scenarios for a troop withdrawal from the country within 30, 60 or 90 days.

The US currently has up to 2,000 troops stationed in Syria with the stated objective of preventing a resurgence of the Daish terrorist group. They work with Kurdish-led forces that control areas in the north-east of the country.

During his first term in office, President Donald Trump had plans to end the US presence in Syria, but then-defence secretary James Mattis pushed back. Mattis resigned in protest in late 2018.

An opposition alliance toppled long-time Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, ending years of bloody civil war that broke out following pro-democracy protests in 2011.