The United States is set to give the militants fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad up to USD 130 million in military supplies, officials say.

A senior US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Saturday that the US Secretary of State John Kerry will elaborate on the details of the US aid to Syria opposition during the meeting of the so-called Friends of Syria group in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

The meeting will take place later in the day and the leading members of the so-called Friends of Syria group including the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar will attend the gathering.

The official also added that the military supplies include body armor, armored vehicles, night vision goggles and advanced communication equipment.

    On Thursday, Kerry said the US would continue to aid the militants trying to overthrow the Syrian government, adding “We are working very, very closely with the Syrian opposition.”

Earlier this month, White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a briefing that Washington has provided over USD 115 million in nonlethal assistance to Syria opposition so far.

However, media reports have indicated that the US trains the foreign-sponsored militants in the crisis-hit country, in addition to coordinating arms shipments to them.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 and many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.

The Syrian government says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants fighting in the country are foreign nationals.