US Sets up New Base to Prevent Syrian Army’s Control over Energy-Rich Regions

The US Army has established another base in Southern Hasaka in Northeastern Syria to cut off the Syrian Army’s advances to oilfields in the region, militant-affiliated websites reported on Wednesday.

The websites reported that the US military has set up a new base in a region near the town of al-Shadadi in Southern Hasaka.

The websites went on to say that the US forces’ base has been set up near the two oilfields of Rmeilan and al-Shadadi in Northeastern Syria, adding that the base has been built to prevent the Syrian Army’s path that ends up in the oilfields that are currently under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Field sources reported that the newly-set up base has helicopter landing areas, eight helicopters, a training camp and a small operation room.

An SDF official said last month that the US established a new military base in the regions that are under the control of the SDF, continuing to occupy Syrian territory.

A senior SDF official, who requested to remain anonymous, said that the US had set up a military base in Raqqa city in Northeastern Syria, which was recently liberated from the ISIL.

“The United States is building military bases in areas freed by our forces from ISIL. We consider it to be the right strategy. Recently, the US forces established a military base at the entrance to the territory of Raqqa, in the Jezra neighborhood,” the official added.

He explained that the neighborhood was chosen by the US army because it was slightly damaged during a military operation in Raqqa and can now be seen as the city’s safest area.

“The base and the adjacent territory are reliably protected by the US soldiers. No one, except these soldiers and SDF fighters, has access to the base,” the official concluded.