Five U.S. armored vehicles were reportedly seen patrolling the border with Turkey in northeastern Syria alongside Kurdish troops on Thursday for the first time since President Trump ordered them pulled out less than one month ago.
BREAKING: Bradleys & infantry troops from the 30th Armored Brigade Combat team, a National Guard unit from South Carolina, arrived in the Deir ez Zour region in Syria in the past few hours, according to CG of Operation Inherent Resolve, Lt Gen Pat White.
— Courtney Kube (@ckubeNBC) October 31, 2019
A military source from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) told Reuters the patrol would “not be a one-time” event.
President Trump’s order came in response to Turkey’s announcement that they were moving into the region. The situation was problematic for the U.S. since Turkey is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and therefore an ally of the U.S. At the same time, the Kurdish forces in Syria were an invaluable ally in the fight against the Islamic State.
Colonel Myles Caggins, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, told Reuters, “All Coalition military operations are de-conflicted with other forces operating in the region”.
“We have begun repositioning Coalition troops to the Deir al-Zor region, in coordination with our SDF partners, to increase security (and) continue our mission to defeat (Islamic State) remnants,” Caggins added.
The president announced last week that some U.S. troops would be positioned in Syria to protect oil assets from ISIS elements. A merican infantry troops and tanks arrived in Syria’s Deir Az Zor region and are expected to head to the northeast to ensure the safety of the oil fields. The revenue from Syrian oil has been a major source of income for ISIS to continue its reign of terror in the region.
An agreement signed between Turkey and Russia gave Turkey control over a 75-mile wide section in the center of the border. Military forces of Syrian President Bashar al Assad will control sections to the east and west of that region.