US deployed marines in Syria without permission of Damascus government

The United States deployed US marines to the Syrian city of Raqqa without the permission of the Damascus government, Central Command chief Gen. Joseph Votel said in a congressional hearing on Thursday, Sputnik reports.

"We are not," Votel stated when asked whether US sent marines at the request or with the permission of the Syrian government. "We are looking at that as an extension of the authority to operate from Iraq."