WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. military will consolidate its presence in Syria over the coming weeks and months in a move that could reduce the number of troops it has in the country by half, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Friday.

The departure would return force levels to where they had been for years, after the U.S. and its allies waged a multiyear campaign to defeat ISIS.

The U.S. military is withdrawing hundreds of troops from Syria, a shift the Pentagon is framing as a “consolidation” that reflects the changing security environment in the country. “Recognizing