Military operations against the terrorist organization ISIS in Iraq and Syria have cost $7 billion, according to a recent Pentagon report.
The report measured the cost of the campaign from its start in August 2014 until last month. Almost half of the expenditures — $3.2 billion — have gone towards flight operations, largely airstrikes against ISIS.
Spending for operations against ISIS is likely to increase in the coming months as the United States deploys more troops to Iraq and Syria to support local forces fighting the terrorist group.
The administration announced last week that an additional 200 service members were being sent to Iraq to assist forces trying to recapture the city of Mosul from ISIS and expand the role of U.S. troops in the country. This will raise the U.S. troop level there to more than 4,000.
The administration also plans to send 250 soldiers to Syria to help combat ISIS, joining 50 special operations troops sent to the country last year.
External links:
Cost of War Against ISIS: $7 Billion and Counting (Fiscal Times)
Obama Plans 250 More Troops for Syria, Boosting Force to 300 (Reuters)
