US to send additional military personnel to Syria

US President Barack Obama has announced that the country will be sending an additional 250 military personnel to support local militias in Syria in their fight against the so-called Islamic State.

The deployment will raise the number of US troops in Syria to 300, but Obama told the BBC that he would not be sending ground troops. The BBC reports that the personnel will have a noncombat role, and that they will be urging Sunni Arabs to join Kurdish fighters in the north-east of the country. The Associated Press adds that most of the additional personnel will be special operation forces, as well as medical and logistical troops.

Obama, who is expected to make a formal announcement on Monday, told the BBC that military efforts alone cannot solve Syria's “heart-breaking situation of enormous complexity”. Obama also 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 US and Russia.

President Obama is currently touring European states, and his formal announcement is expected during his visit to Hannover, where he will also discuss Syria and other foreign policy issues with leaders of the UK, Germany, France and Italy.

The five-year long conflict in Syria has killed over 250,000 people and triggered one of the worst migration crises in Europe, as over 11 million Syrians were displaced by the conflicts. The conflict is leading many to attempt the perilous journey into Europe and the migration crisis has put border states under extreme pressure as they try to stem the massive influx of refugees.

On Sunday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke alongside Obama and urged warring parties to set up safe zones in Syria where refugees would be protected within the country.

IS has lost parts of the territory it once controlled in Syria, and they were recently pushed back by Russian-backed Syrian forces from the strategic city of Palmyra. The group has also suffered significant setbacks in Iraq, including the loss of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province.

The US has led a coalition against the militant group in both Syria and Iraq, carrying out drone strikes on the area, but the Obama told the BBC that it would be a "mistake" to send ground troops to Syria.