The convoy is believed to be heading towards US positions in the province, including the illegal military bases in the countryside of Hasakah, notably the base located at al-Jibsah oilfields in the town of al-Shaddadi.
This recent development comes shortly after 39 US military tankers crossed the al-Mahmoudiya border crossing and headed towards Iraq’s northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, having been filled with Syrian crude oil.
The US military has justified its presence in northeastern Syria by claiming it aims to prevent the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists. However, Damascus says that the unauthorized US deployment is actually an attempt to exploit the country’s abundant mineral resources.
Earlier this month, a senior Russian diplomat, Mikhail Bogdanov, criticized the ongoing illegal presence of US military forces in Syria, demanding an end to the Pentagon’s occupation of the Arab nation’s energy- and mineral-rich regions. Bogdanov condemned the US for using the pretext of combating terrorism to justify its presence in strategically important areas with vast crude oil and natural reserves.
Furthermore, he pointed out that US troops are also deployed in the al-Tanf area in southern Syria, a blatant violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Bogdanov also criticized US support for the anti-Damascus Kurdish-led militants affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria, adding to the tensions surrounding the US military’s actions in the region.