It is being reported by the Marine Corps that a ‘couple hundred’ Marines have moved into Syria from the 11 th Marine Expeditionary Unit and they have taken artillery with them. Moving within artillery range of Raqqa, the so called capital of the Islamic State the Marines will be positioned to take immediate action in support of ground forces fighting ISIS.
Watch: Marine Corps CH-53E lifting a M777 howitzer during training exercise
The Marines are pre-positioning howitzers to provide artillery support to friendly ground forces, who are in the process of isolating Raqqa ahead of a planned offensive to retake the city, the official said.
The deployment of Marines is temporary, so they will leave Syria as soon as their support is no longer needed, the official said.
This marks the second time in as many years that Marines have provided artillery support for allied forces fighting ISIS. In March 2016, about 180 Marines from the 26 th Marine Expeditionary Unit spent about 60 days at the Kara Soar Counter Fire Complex in Makhmour, Iraq, near Mosul. – Military Times
So what do you think of this escalation? Were you expecting that President Trump would send Marines into Syria? Do you support this incursion into Syria?
One of the first things the President did after taking office was to task the Department of Defense to come up with a plan to rapidly destroy ISIS. Is this the beginning of that effort?
Featured image of a Marine Corps helicopter lifting a M777 howitzer during a training exercise by Youtube video screen capture.
