Pentagon Chief Ash Carter said that President Barack Obama’s plan to send US special forces to Syria to assist militants fighting against the Syrian government and ISIL Takfiri group will endanger the lives of the troops.

Pentagon Chief Ash Carter said that President Barack Obama’s plan to send US special forces to Syria to assist militants fighting against the Syrian government and ISIL Takfiri group will endanger the lives of the troops.

"Our role fundamentally and the strategy is to enable local forces but does that put US forces in harm's way? It does, no question about it," the US Defense Secretary said on Friday.

Senior US administration officials said on Friday that there will be some 50 troops deployed in the Middle East region to "train, advise and assist" so-called vetted militants.

A top official told the BBC that this does not indicate a change in US strategy but an "intensification" of the military campaign.

Carter said that the US will consider the possibility of further special forces deployments to Syria as long as the initial deployment is fruitful.

"We are going to continue to innovate, to build on what works," Carter said. "As we think of new ways and ... develop new opportunities to support capable and motivating forces we will consider those, we will make recommendations to the president."

Meanwhile, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said "these forces do not have a combat mission."