Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder would provide no details on how many additional forces or what they would be tasked to do.

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story Pentagon ups US troops to Middle

The additional forces, which one official placed at between 2,000 and 3,000, will bolster security for the 40,000 U.S. troops already in the region and help defend Israel, officials said.

The Pentagon says the U.S. is sending an additional “few thousand” troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to be prepared to defend Israel if necessary

The U.S. will send a few thousand additional troops to the Middle East to boost security for American forces and help defend Israel if needed, the Pentagon said Monday.