WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2019) US forces operating in northern Syria have launched a new series of what have been described as large scale counter-terrorism missions against the Islamic State (outlawed in Russia) terror group forces operating in the area, the media reported on Monday.
The new series of operations were launched on Friday almost two months after President Donald Trump ordered US troops evacuated from northeast Syria, clearing the way for a Turkish military advance to occupy areas previously held by Kurdish rebel allies of the United States, the New York Times reported.
US troops and hundreds of Syrian Kurds from the same groups Trump ended support for in early October when the Turkish Army occupied their enclaves carried out a joint large scale mission to capture Islamic State bases in Deir al-Zour province, 120 miles south of the Turkish border, the report said.
The new operations, which have yet to be confirmed by the Defense Department or US Central Command (CENTCOM), followed alerts from US intelligence analysts that Islamic State forces were started to advance again from remaining strongholds deep in the Syrian desert, the report continued.
The report also quoted CENTCOM head General Kenneth McKenzie as telling reporters in Bahrain on Saturday that about 500 US troops would maintain and intensify the pressure in coming weeks against remaining Islamic State fightes.
