The Pentagon announced Monday that the US is sending thousands of more troops to the Middle East as Israel initiates “ground raids” into Lebanon targeting Hezbollah terrorists.
The “few thousand” additional forces will up the total number of US troops stationed at bases in Iraq, Syria, Jordan and other Middle Eastern countries to some 43,000.
The Pentagon did not say exactly how many troops would be deployed, but one official told the New York Times that as many as 3,000 service members would be sent to the region.
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Monday that troop increase is part of a Department of Defense effort “to further enhance the defense posture of US forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war.”
“This includes a certain number of units already deployed to the Middle East region that will be extended, and the forces due to rotate into theater to replace them will now instead augment the in-place forces already in the region,” the Pentagon spokeswoman said.
Along with more troops, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to remain in the region.
Additional defensive air support capabilities, including F-16, F-15e, A-10, F-22 fighter jets will also be sent over, according to Singh.
“The Secretary also increased the readiness of additional US forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies and DOD maintains robust and integrated air defense capabilities across the Middle East region, ensuring the protection of US forces operating in the region,” she added.
The Pentagon’s announcement preceded the Israeli Defense Force confirming that it has begun its widely expected ground incursion into Lebanon.
“In accordance with the decision of the political echelon, a few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon,” the IDF said in a statement. “These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”
The ground invasion follows a multi-day Israeli bombing campaign in Lebanon that has left hundreds dead, including several top Hezbollah commanders.
Israel said the primary goal of its operations against Hezbollah is to halt the daily rocket and missile attacks on towns and villages in the north of the Jewish state — and allow tens of thousands of displaced residents to return home.
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