Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told The Associated Press that the U.S. needs to keep troops deployed in Syria to prevent the Islamic State group from reconstituting as a major threat.

In the past week, the Pentagon has acknowledged that its footprint in Iraq and Syria is bigger than it has claimed for years

In a surprise announcement, the Pentagon disclosed on Thursday that U.S. officials have doubled the number of American troops in Syria to support the fight against ISIS.

U.S forces are still needed in Syria to prevent ISIS from reconstituting as a major threat following Assad's ouster, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin outlines the necessity of U.S. troops in Syria to counter IS threats and stabilize the region post-Assad.