The U.S. military is sending 3,000 additional troops to the Middle East, less than a day after Iran’s Gen. Qassem Soleimani was killed in an American airstrike, defense officials said.

The new troops from the 82nd Airborne Division are being deployed to Iraq, Kuwait, and other parts of the region. They will join about 650 others who are already in the region and stay for about 60 days, according to NBC News. The Pentagon confirmed late Thursday that it carried out the surprise airstrike in Baghdad that killed Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s powerful Quds Force, “at the direction of the president.” In a statement, the Pentagon said, “General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.”