Military Expert:

US Not to Withdraw from al-Tanf Base to Help Terrorists in Syria

TEHRAN (defapress)- A Lebanese military expert disclosed that the US Army will keep some of its troops in its al-Tanf base along Syria's Eastern borders in a bid to protect the terrorists in that region.

News ID: 74829

Date: 07 January 2019 - 15:24

Brigadier-General Amin Hatit told the Arabic-language service of Russian Sputnik news agency that one of the main reasons for reinstating some of the US troops in al-Tanf military base is to help the US-backed militants in the region.

He noted that the US has realized that in case of retreating from al-Tan region, the terrorists stationed in the region will face the Syrian Army's military operations, and said that the US is planning long-term presence in al-Tanf region to maintain security of terrorists.

Brigadier-General Hatit, meantime, pointed to the location of al-Tanf region in a triangle of Syria, Jordan and Iraq and deployment of the terrorists by the US in the region, and said Washington should account for helping the Syrian terrorists in the vicinity of Iraq and Jordan.

The Lebanese military expert, meantime, pointed to the doubts pertaining to the exit of US troops from Syria, and said that the US troops stationed in al-Sedqeh garrison in the Euphrates will probably remain there for good and other forces of the airbase near Hasaka will also remain for long-term in that region.

The remarks by Brigadier-General Hatit came as a senior US official has recently spoken about the presence of some of the US troops in Syria, specially al-Tanf base in Southern Syria.

In a relevant development on Monday, media outlets said that the US has not yet withdrawn troops or equipment from Northern Syria, adding that Washington has even dispatched more military convoys to the region.

The US has dispatched hundreds of military trucks comprising weapons and military equipment to Deir Ezzur province in Eastern Syria since President Donald Trump declared his decision to withdraw troops from the country, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.

The SOHR said that a military convoy comprising a sum of 150 trucks carrying cars and logistic military equipment has been dispatched to the regions under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) specially on Eastern Euphrates from the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

The SOHR noted that it was the third US military convoy sent to Syria after Trump's decision on exit of the American troops from Syria, and said that a total number of 500 trucks containing weapons and military equipment have been dispatched to Eastern Syria so far.

In a relevant development on Saturday, the Arabic-language Xeber 24 news website affiliated to the Kurds reported that a large military convoy, consisting of 120 trucks carrying weapons and military equipment have arrived at al-Shadadi base in Hasaka province.

It added that despite US President Donald Trump's claims of withdrawing troops from Syria, the American military men are still in their bases and no soldier has left the region.

Meantime, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that withdrawal of the US heavy military vehicles from Eastern Euphrates towards Iraq has not yet been monitored officially.

The SOHR reported that the Turkish media reports sating that the US has withdrawn its forces from a base at the Syrian-Iraqi-Turkish border were related to the US forces' traffic between Syria and Iraq.

The SOHR had also reported on Sunday that a long convoy of almost 200 US army trucks, carrying weapons, munitions and logistical equipment, left the US bases in Iraq on Saturday and arrived in coalition bases in Raqqa, Manbij and Ein Issa in Northeastern Syria.

In the meantime, the Kurdish militia reported that the trucks arrived in the town of Amouda and left then for the US-run bases in Northeastern Syria, adding that the arms and ammunition cargo is to be delivered to the SDF.

The convoy arrived after the US military decided to withdraw from Syria but leave the SDF armed in the region.

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