U.S. to send 250 additional military personnel to Syria

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. President Barack Obama is to send 250 additional military personnel to Syria to support local militias in the fight against so-called Islamic State (IS), officials have said, according to BBC News.

The goal, they say, is to encourage more Sunni Arabs to join Kurdish fighters in north-eastern Syria.

The new deployment will bring to 300 the number of U.S. forces in non-combat roles in Syria.

In a BBC interview, Obama ruled out sending ground troops there. He said military efforts alone cannot solve Syria's "heart-breaking situation of enormous complexity".

Most of the additional personnel will be special operation forces, the Associated Press news agency reports. The group will also include medical and logistical troops, it adds.

A formal announcement is expected from President Obama during his visit to Hannover on Monday, April 25 where he will discuss Syria and other foreign policy issues with leaders of the UK, Germany, France and Italy.

On Sunday, Obama said he was "deeply concerned" about a surge in violence in Syria, with the opposition accusing the government of violating a truce brokered by the U.S. and Russia.