WASHINGTON, Oct 17 — About 2,000 US military personnel have been placed on a heightened state of readiness given “the evolving security environment in the Middle East,” but no decision has been made to deploy them, the US Department of Defence said today.
The deployment of the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, which is nearing the end of its six-month deployment to the US European Command area, would be extended, Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in the statement. — Reuters