(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON Nov 27 (KUNA) -- The deadly massacre in Egypt allegedly orchestrated by extremists for the so called Islamic State underscores the importance of US involvement in the Middle East, the Pentagon said Monday.
Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Rob Manning told reporters at a press gaggle "The United States must help partner nations build their own defense and police capacity to "ensure [the so-called Islamic State], al-Qaida and like-minded groups cannot plan and carry out attacks." Manning said there are roughly 500 US forces in Syria and around 5,000 in Iraq. Defense Department officials are working on providing a better run-down of troop levels in the countries as security considerations permit, the colonel said.
Iraqi forces are working to improve security in areas they have retaken from IS control, Manning said. This includes going into areas to clear them of improvised explosive devices, clearing out weapons caches, disarm booby traps and rooting out IS hold-outs.
"In Syria, in the last 24 hours, the [Syrian Democratic Forces] has reinforced positions near the Iraq-Syria border, repelling an IS reconnaissance element," he said.
Coalition forces aided the SDF as it advanced along the southern bank of the Euphrates River.
"Also coalition forces provided counter-IED training to Raqqa internal security force soldiers," he said. The coalition also passed over communications gear to Raqqa force personnel.
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and discussed the US supply of arms to the SDF. Turkish leaders are worried that arms supplied to the Kurdish portion of the SDF could end up in the hands of the [Kurdistan Workers' Party] -- a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
"Consistent with that policy, we're reviewing pending adjustments to the military support provided to our Kurdish partners [in the SDF], in as much as the military requirements of our defeat-IS and stabilization efforts will allow us to prevent IS from returning," Manning said.
"We remain very clear in that we are going to continue to target IS and remain committed to protecting our NATO ally Turkey." (end) hy.ibi
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