Washington (CNN) Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is refuting a Wall Street Journal report that the US military was developing plans to keep up to 1,000 troops in Syria, calling it "factually incorrect." The Journal reported Sunday, citing US officials, that the US planned to continue working with Kurdish fighters in Syria who face threats from Turkey. The report said the plans came as talks between the US, Turkey, European allies and the Kurds have failed to establish a safe zone in Syria. To date, there have been no firm pledges from allies, meaning the US level would have to go up. The Journal report said the US is expected to withdraw hundreds of US forces after "the last bastion" of ISIS is seized.

Source: CNN March 17, 2019 22:48 UTC