The U.S. must maintain troops in Syria to prevent the resurgence of ISIS following Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

He emphasized securing detention camps holding thousands of ISIS fighters, including 2,000 deemed highly dangerous.

U.S. forces, currently numbering around 2,000, work with the Kurdish-led SDF against ISIS, despite Turkey’s opposition to the SDF’s PKK ties.

Austin highlighted the risk of ISIS fighters reintegrating into the region without continued U.S. involvement, the Associated Press has reported.

The situation remains uncertain as Syria’s transitional government forms.

Written by B.C. Begley