Pentagon official: US ground troops in Syria 'possible'

Conventional US ground troops may for the first time be stationed in Syria "for some period of time" to combat Islamic State, according to a CNN report citing anonymous defense officials.

"It's possible that you may see conventional forces hit the ground in Syria for some period of time," a defense official told CNN on Wednesday. It is the sole quote in the report, but CNN sources multiple US officials as clarifying that this is just a concept, not a formal proposal.

President Donald Trump's first instructions to Defense Secretary James Mattis were to formulate a strategy against Islamic State, and a plan is due by the end of February.

US Special Operations forces have been gathering intelligence as well as training and assisting so-called rebel opposition groups and Turkish troops in Syria for years.

CNN also reports that Trump may be advised to...