US accused of ‘banditry’ as it bolsters troop numbers at Syrian oilfields
- US sends troop reinforcements to eastern Syria prevent Isis and other actors from gaining access to oilfields
- Russia responds by accusing the United States of ‘international banditry’, whose aim is to seize and control the oilfields
The US military has begun bolstering its troop numbers in a swathe of eastern Syria where President Donald Trump has said he wants to protect oilfields.
The move prompted Russia to accuse the United States of “banditry” and smuggling oil from Syria.
The US troops began arriving in Deir al-Zour province in a convoy from northern Iraq. US defence officials said the forces would reinforce American troops in coordination with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who have teamed with the Pentagon on operations against Islamic State (Isis) for years.
The additional forces will help “prevent the oilfields from falling back into the hands of Isis or other destabilising actors,” one US defence official said.
“We will not discuss details or timelines of those forces for security reasons,” the official added.
News photographers in the region captured images showing a convoy of about a dozen US Army vehicles rolling past oil pumps near the Syrian city of Qamishli, many with American flags flying on them.