"A small peacekeeping group of about 200 will remain in Syria for a period of time," Sanders said on Thursday as quoted by CBS News.
Earlier, the White House said President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed in a phone conversation a possible creation of a safe zone in northern Syria.

In addition, senior US Defense Department officials will be hosting their Turkish counterparts this week for talks over the conflict in Syria, according to the White House.

President Donald Trump announced in December that the United States would leave Syria. However, no exact deadline for the return of 2,000 troops has been revealed by US officials yet.

The US troops have been operating in Syria as part of an international coalition for about five years without the permission of Syrian authorities or the UN Security Council. The United States has, in particular, supported the Kurdish-led militia controlling the territories to the east of the Euphrates and opposing the Syrian government.