{"id":51414,"date":"2018-12-19T21:58:47","date_gmt":"2018-12-19T21:58:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/12\/19\/a-look-at-us-involvement-in-syrias-civil-war\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T10:26:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T10:26:00","slug":"a-look-at-us-involvement-in-syrias-civil-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/2018\/12\/19\/a-look-at-us-involvement-in-syrias-civil-war\/","title":{"rendered":"A look at US involvement in Syria\u2019s civil war"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

HOW IT STARTED<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September 2014, then-President Barack Obama <\/a>launched a U.S. air campaign against the Islamic State in Syria<\/a>, one month after starting airstrikes in neighboring Iraq. The Islamic State had built substantial military firepower in Syria, which it used to sweep across western and northern Iraq earlier in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In late 2015 the first American ground troops entered Syria \u2014 initially 50, growing to the current official total of about 2,000. They recruited, organized and advised thousands of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters, dubbed the Syrian Democratic Forces<\/a>, and pushed IS out of most of its strongholds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MILITARY OPERATIONS<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To date, the U.S.-led coalition has launched airstrikes <\/a>on at least 17,000 locations in Syria since the start of the operation. Last week, there were strikes on 208 locations, largely on Islamic State fighters <\/a>and facilities in the Middle Euphrates River Valley, according to the U.S. military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of IS fighters have been killed or captured, but U.S. military officials say there are still as many at 2,000 insurgents still in the MERV, and a number of others who have escaped to various locations around the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\t