U.S. military begins withdrawing troops and some equipment from Syria

SYRIA (KTRK) -- America's four-year involvement in Syria's civil war may soon be coming to an end, after U.S. officials announced Friday that the process of withdrawal from the country has begun.

A defense official in Washington said some military cargo has been pulled out, part of what the military calls the start of a "deliberate withdrawal" from Syria, where about 2,000 troops have been working with a coalition of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters to defeat the remnants of the Islamic State group.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the plans for the withdrawal abruptly last month.

The U.S. involvement in the war-torn country has shifted from working quietly behind the scenes to support rebels to overt displays of U.S. force and a gradually widening footprint in an attempt to shape the fight.