The Pentagon says it has finally begun training a small group of Syrian rebels, months after announcing plans to do so.
US Defence Secretary Ash Carter says one company-sized group of about 90 fighters is being trained, with another group of the same number about to begin.
The announcement will surprise many who had assumed such training had begun a long time ago.
But the US says it has taken months to vet potential training recruits to ensure they have no ties with extremist groups in Syria.
The first group are being trained in Jordan.
Other training locations are expected to include Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.
The US military has been launching airstrikes against Islamic State forces in Syria since their takeover of large swathes of Iraq.
US President Barack Obama won Congressional approval in September last year for his plans to train 5,000 Syrian rebel fighters.
However, events in Syria may be overtaking those plans.
Disparate rebel groups have begun to enjoy newfound success against President Bashar al Assad's forces.
Rebel groups have shown far greater success at working together to put enormous pressure on Assad forces.
Free Syrian Army brigades, al Qaeda affiliate al Nusra front and Islamist allies have made impressive gains as a coalition, calling itself the Army of Conquest.
