(Zaman Al Wasl)- US-backed Kurdish forces hit army bastions in Deir Ezzor as the regime backed by Russian mercenaries seeks to control the oil-rich province, military source said Friday.
The Syrian Democratic Forces that based in Conoco oilfield launched rocket attack on regime areas near Deir Ezzor military airport on Thursday.
The YPG-led forces also have fortified its posts to deter any attempt by the regime army and allied Shiite militias to advance towards oil and gas fields.
Local activists said the US-led coalition warplanes had hit regime army in support of the SDF east of the Euphrates River.
In its turn, Daesh killed five Shiite fighters operating under the banner of Iran-backed Fatimioun militia. ISIS car bombs also rocked regime checkpoints near the town of Albu Kamala at the Iraqi border.
The US army took part in Deir Ezzor fighting after troops airdrop on last ISIS pockets.
On Tuesday, the U.S. military had defused a potential confrontation with pro-regime forces including Russian mercenaries amassed near U.S. and SDF forces in Deir Ezzor, after contacted Russian officers, Reuters said.
The latest incident in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor, came a month after a similar buildup led to U.S. strikes that killed or injured hundreds of Russian contractors.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis disclosed the buildup of forces in the last week while speaking to Pentagon reporters.
Well-informed source told Zaman al-Wasl that the regime Air Force had delivered multiple types of air munitions from Damascus International Airport to Deir Ezzor airport depending on Russia's Ilyushin Il-76.
Three Il-76 airlifters, which based in the 29th Brigade (585 Squadron) have been in daily cargo mission since mid of March as the Air Force Intelligence impose high security on the operation.
However, Mattis said that after U.S. forces spoke with their Russian counterparts, the pro-Syrian government troops pulled back.
"This was a recent development, but we think that the potential for a clash there, thanks to the Russian direction to this group, has been reduced," Mattis said.
Mattis said he believed the forces were under Russian control.
The U.S. military also attempted to use a hot line with Russia to defuse a crisis in February when forces who later turned out to be working for a Kremlin-linked contractor were building up near U.S. and U.S.-backed forces in Syria.
When the opposing forces attacked, the United States unleashed hours of strikes and killed about 300 men in a major incident that both Russia and the United States sought to publicly downplay.
The incidents underscored the potential for further conflict in Syria's oil-rich east, where the SDF holds swathes of land seized in its offensive against Daesh (ISIS) militants.
The U.S.-led coalition was set up in 2014 to battle Daesh fighters in both Syria and Iraq, who were largely defeated last year.
Some 2,000 U.S. troops remain on the ground in Syria, allied with the Kurdish-led SDF alliance.
Mattis said he has not seen Turkish forces move against Manbij, which is located in northeast Syria about 30 miles south of the Turkish border.
Turkey has said it will drive the Kurdish YPG militia away from the Syrian border if it does not reach an agreement with the United States on a plan to remove the group from the Manbij region.
"There has been no move against Manbij and we continue our dialogue with the Turkish authorities about how do we sort this out," Mattis said.
In January, Turkey's army and its Syrian rebel allies began a military offensive against the YPG militia in Afrin district and gained full control of the region over the weekend.
The newly recruited militants and youth who in their mandatory service were moved from Draij training camps near the capital to Aleppo during the week.
They have no military experience. The training camps turned into centers for gathering fighters no more, sources said.
Zaman Al Wasl
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.