Hundreds of US Marines have been sent to Syria with the goal of bolstering local fighters in the war against ISIS, defense officials said according to the Washington Post.
According to the report, the US forces are preparing to move in coming weeks towards Raqqa, the de facto capital of ISIS, where they will aid local forces preparing an assault on the city.
The deployment comes as the Defense Department has indicated in recent weeks that the US is considering deploying a greater number of conventional troops into northern Syria.
While several hundred Special Operations troops have been advising local forces fighting ISIS in Syria for months, the deployment of a greater number of ground troops marks an escalation of US involvement in the area.