WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that his country is "slowly" withdrawing troops from Syria, seemingly reversing a previously planned rapid exit.
"ISIS (the Islamic State) is mostly gone, we're slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants," said Trump in a Monday tweet detailing his troop withdrawal prospect.
Trump's words came one day after U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham indicated that the White House host has agreed to slow down the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the war-torn country.
"I think we're slowing things down in a smart way," Graham told reporters on Sunday after a lunch with Trump.
"I think the president is committed to making sure when we leave Syria that IS (the Islamic State) is completely defeated," he said when asked if Trump has agreed to slow down the withdrawal.
The Trump administration announced on Dec. 19 that it has started returning U.S. troops home from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the IS.
U.S. media cited anonymous officials as saying that the United States was planning a "rapid" and "full" withdrawal of troops from Syria.
The departing U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis has reportedly signed the execute order last week detailing the U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria.
Currently, there are more than 2,000 U.S. soldiers deployed in Syria.
