A US military base at al-Omar oil field in the southeastern Syrian province of Deir Ez-Zor was attacked by unknown assailants on Friday, Syrian media reported
DAMASCUS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th December, 2019) A US military base at al-Omar oil field in the southeastern Syrian province of Deir Ez-Zor was attacked by unknown assailants on Friday, Syrian media reported.
The attack coincided with the arrival of trucks with military equipment at the base, Al-Ikhbariya broadcaster reported. US soldiers reportedly responded with shelling and stun grenades.
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said earlier in the week that US troops in northeastern Syria had finished remaneuvering as needed and that the total number of troops on the ground would remain at around 600.
The movement of US forces has been cause for much uncertainty in Syria ever since US President Donald Trump abruptly announced a withdrawal of troops in early October. The pullout was never complete, however, with the troops eventually setting up camp at Syrian oil fields controlled by allied Kurds, claiming to ensure that resources were not taken by the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia). Trump, while at the NATO Summit this week, credited US forces with protecting oil from falling back into the hands of terrorists.
