MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th October, 2019) The US forces started to arrive in the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor from Iraq on Saturday to ensure protection of regional oil fields, US media reported.
Earlier in the day, Syrian media reported that a convoy with US servicemen had returned from Iraq to Syria's northeastern al-Hasakah Province.
The forces, which arrived in Deir ez-Zor, will help to "prevent the oil fields from falling back into the hands of ISIS [Islamic State terrorist group, banned in Russia] or other destabilizing actors," The Washington Post newspaper reported, citing a US defense official.
According to US officials, several hundred of servicemen, or less than a battalion, will ensure protection of oil fields. A battalion in the US army averagely consists of 800-1,000 servicemen.
The US troops left northern Syrian territories for Iraq after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had announced the launch of Operation Peace Spring in the area on October 9. The offensive is a part of Ankara's goal to clear its Syria-facing border area of the Kurdish units, which are viewed by Ankara as terrorist groups.
On Friday, Pentagon chief Mark Esper said that the United States intended to take measures in the near future to strengthen its position in Deir ez-Zor to prevent terrorists from accessing oil fields. According to the defense secretary, Washington is studying how to move forces in the region so that "to ensure the safety of oil fields." On Wednesday, Iraqi Defense Minister Najah Shammari said that the US forces, which had earlier left northern Syria, would remain in Iraq no longer than four weeks.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump expressed an idea to let the Kurdish units control some oil-rich regions in northeastern Syria. The Kurds used to be US allies in the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday that the United States was involved in smuggling oil in northeastern Syria.
