Syria mission worth the risk, top U.S. general says after rare visit

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley speaks during a news conference with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (not pictured), on the day of the NATO defence ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, February 14, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

NORTHEAST SYRIA (Reuters) -The nearly eight-year-old U.S. deployment to Syria to combat Islamic State is still worth the risk, the top U.S. military officer said on Saturday, after a rare, unannounced visit to a dusty base in the country's northeast to meet U.S. troops.

Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, flew to Syria to assess efforts to prevent a resurgence of the militant group and review safeguards for American forces against attacks, including from drones flown by Iran-backed militia.