A Pentagon plan to seize the Islamic State capital in Syria requires significant participation from the U.S. military, according to a new report.
President Trump received the plan Monday, according to the Washington Post. The strategy proposes lifting a limitation on the size of the U.S. military contingent in the country.
American troops would not participate in ground combat but could work closer to the front line in Raqqa.
The plan calls for increased Special Operations forces, attack helicopters and artillery, as well as supplying weapons to Syrian Kurdish and Arab forces, U.S. officials said.
Trump’s approval of the proposal would deny Turkey’s demands that Syrian Kurds, deemed terrorists by the country, be denied U.S. equipment and not be included in the fight to take back Raqqa.
In recent days, U.S. forces that were meant to participate in the Raqqa battle have had to prevent confrontation between Turkish and Syrian Kurdish fighters.
Former President Obama in the final days of his presidency approved plans to send a few Apache attack helicopters to Syria. He deferred making a decision on arming the Kurds. At the end of January, Trump asked the Pentagon to give him new options within 30 days.
Officials said Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has used the basic outline of the plan created under Obama.
