DAMASCUS, Syria.-The Syrian Chancellery denounced this Thursday that the military presence of U.S. troops in this Arab country constitutes a form of aggression and a flagrant violation of international law.

When responding to statements by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates declared that the deployment of Washington troops actually protects the Islamic State terrorist group.

Some days ago, in an intervention on the conflict in Syria, Tillerson asserted that the United States will maintain its military presence in Syria to ensure the Islamic State does not reemerge.

On several occasions, Damascus has denounced that the US armed forces, in addition to hindering the advance of the Syrian army in its fight against terrorist groups, supported the departure of Islamic State´s extremists from Raqqa and other territories.