Washington: Only four or five United States-trained Syrian rebels are still fighting in Syria, a top US general told Congress on Wednesday, acknowledging the US military is conducting a broad review of the training program.

General Lloyd Austin, who leads the US military’s Central Command, said he expected the numbers of US-trained Syrian rebels to grow over time. But he acknowledged the program was behind schedule and the military’s initial training targets would not be met.

Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Christine Wormuth told the Senate Armed Services Committee that only between 100 and 120 Syrian fighters were in training.