source: Al Jazeera
Northeastern Syria
A patrol base was the target of two rocket attacks, according to the US military, but no one was hurt.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed in a statement that the assaults late on Friday “targeted coalition forces” at its base in al-Shaddadi, Syria.
The rockets were launched at about 10:31 p.m. local time (19:31 GMT) on Friday and were aimed at the US patrol base in al-Shaddadi town, according to a brief statement from the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), which is in charge of managing American forces in the Middle East.
The missiles did not hit anything within the base, it was added.
Additionally, according to CENTCOM, fighters supported by the US and headed by Kurds who are part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) subsequently inspected the rocket launch location and discovered an unfired missile there.
In Syria’s oil-producing eastern region of Dayr al-Zawr, a military base holding US occupying soldiers came under rocket fire late on November 17.
At the time, several rockets were said to have been fired in the general area of the US-controlled al-Omar oil field, according to Sabereen News, a Telegram news channel affiliated with the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known by their Arabic name, Hashd al-Sha’abi, which fight terrorism.
A number of explosions were heard within the US-run installation, according to the Arabic-language Radio Souryana station, and assault helicopters hovered low over the area after the strike.
The Pentagon has long maintained that the US military’s presence in northeastern Syria is necessary to prevent the terrorist organization Daesh from seizing control of the region’s oilfields.
The deployment, according to Damascus, is intended to pillage the nation’s natural riches. Donald Trump, a former US president, acknowledged that the American military was in the Arab nation because of its abundant oil supply on many occasions.
No injuries or damage to the coalition base’s property were caused by the attack.
The source of the rocket fire was not identified.
Attacks on Kurdish forces
In both Syria and Iraq have been carried out in response to a bombing that occurred in Istanbul on November 13 as tensions on the Syria-Turkey border have risen. The YPG Kurdish forces and the PKK, which are both outlawed, are accused of carrying out the attack by Ankara, but they both deny this.
Additionally, civilians in Turkey have been killed as a result of Syrian rocket attacks.
The Pentagon claims that the US military has long had troops and equipment stationed in northeastern Syria with the goal of preventing Daesh terrorists from seizing control of the region’s oilfields.
The deployment, according to Damascus, is intended to pillage the nation’s natural riches. Donald Trump, a former US president, acknowledged that the American military was in the Arab nation because of its abundant oil supply on many occasions.
“Attacks of this kind place coalition forces and the civilian populace at risk and undermine the hard-earned stability and security of Syria and the region,” spokesman Col. Joe Buccino said in a statement.
The Pentagon expressed concern about the “escalating actions” in northern Syria, Iraq, and Turkey on Wednesday, warning it could threaten progress to “degrade and defeat ISIS.”
“Recent air strikes in Syria directly threatened the safety of U.S. personnel who are working in Syria with local partners to defeat ISIS and maintain custody of more than ten thousand ISIS detainees,” Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement.
Ryder said the escalating situation threatened the progress made in the fight against ISIL fighters in the region.
He added that the US recognizes Turkey’s “legitimate security concerns”.
“Immediate de-escalation is necessary in order to maintain focus on the defeat-ISIS mission and ensure the safety and security of personnel on the ground committed to the defeat-ISIS mission,” Ryder added.
The US official’s remarks follow a similar warning from Russia against a Turkish ground campaign in Syria.
About 900 US troops are stationed in Syria, mostly in the northeast, where they collaborate with the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to combat ISIL remnants.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, stated on Wednesday that the country’s air operations were only getting started and that it will soon commence a ground operation in response to an uptick in retaliation attacks.
In retaliation for a bombing in Istanbul that left six people dead and was blamed on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the YPG, Ankara initiated airstrikes over the weekend. Both the PKK and the YPG have denied involvement, and no one has claimed credit.
