US troops conduct defensive drills in occupied Syrian oil fields

 The US occupation army is reportedly in a heightened state of alert over possible attacks by resistance groups

The US occupation army conducted defensive drills on 9 June using live ammunition in the vicinity of their base in the oil fields of Rumailan, northeast of Hasakah governorate, simulating possible attacks by resistance groups.

This followed similar drills on Thursday at the US occupation base inside the Conoco oil field in Deir Ezzor governorate, including the use of warplanes and helicopters.

According to Arabic media reports, the occupation army is on a heightened state of alert over the possibility of new attacks against their positions in the oil-rich region of Syria.

Over the past two weeks, the Pentagon has deployed new reinforcements from Iraq to Syria’s northeast as part of efforts to solidify their presence in the war-torn country and train anti-government armed groups.

Last month, the US army admitted to deploying High Mobile Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to Syria.

On top of the defensive drills, the US-sponsored Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been conducting near-daily raids on Arab tribes in Deir Ezzor recently, arresting dozens who have opposed the illegal occupation of their country.

Locals have expressed great discontent over Washington’s military presence in Syria and their ongoing looting of the country’s oil to fund allied militias in recent years.

As the US boosts its defenses in Syria, the SDF announced earlier this week that “ISIS cells” are currently planning and training to launch attacks on Iraq and Syria.

Lately, ISIS cells have been launching attacks against civilians and government forces in Syria’s desert regions near Homs, also called the Badia desert. Innocent truffle harvesters attempting to make a living have bore the brunt of these attacks.

The Syrian Badia region is geographically linked to what is referred to as the ’55-kilometer-zone’ surrounding Washington’s Al-Tanf occupation base in eastern Syria.

US troops have been accused for years of housing and training extremist militants inside Al-Tanf with the aim of “sowing chaos” in Syria. US choppers have also been spotted on the battlefield providing aid to ISIS cells.

The US drills come at a time when officials from Central Command (CENTCOM) and the air force have accused Russia of not “adhering to agreed-upon deconfliction protocols,” claiming the Russian air force is operating in an “unsafe and unprofessional manner.”

During a visit to Moscow earlier this year, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad suggested that Russian military presence in Syria should become permanent. He said he would welcome any proposals from the Kremlin to boost troop numbers.

After years of isolation, Assad was recently welcomed back into the regional fold, setting off alarms in Washington. In response, US lawmakers are looking to deepen sanctions on Syria and to threaten Arab nations that reconcile with Damascus.

https://thecradle.co/article-view/25852/us-troops-conduct-defensive-drills-in-occupied-syrian-oil-fields