US withdrawing hundreds of troops from Syria, NYT reports

FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Soldier surveils the area during a combined joint patrol in Manbij, Syria, November 1, 2018. Picture taken on November 1, 2018. Courtesy Zoe Garbarino/U.S. Army/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

(Reuters) - The United States has started drawing down hundreds of troops from northeastern Syria, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

The military is shuttering three of its eight small operating bases, reducing troop levels to about 1,400 from 2,000, the Times reported, citing two senior U.S. officials.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa)