Inbox: 18 US military vehicles now are crossing back into Syria from northern Iraq SDF confirms to CNN. By all accounts troops back into Syria now underway.
— Barbara Starr (@barbarastarrcnn) October 26, 2019
#BREAKING:#US Special Forces which are deployed from #Iraq to #DeirEzzor area in #Syria have now reached their destination to protect #Syrian oilfield in the area. Here they can be seen while were entering #Syria from Valid border crossing. Total 13 trucks escorted by two AH-64Es pic.twitter.com/CshW2G4br5
— Babak Taghvaee (@BabakTaghvaee) October 26, 2019
#Syria state media reports on a convoy of 13 US vehicles that enter the country from #Iraq towards the oil fields
— Guy Elster (@guyelster) October 26, 2019
Turkish ISR flight over #Turkey's so-called security zone in #Syria, and a Coalition fight along the Syria-#Iraq border area. pic.twitter.com/4AtklvIE85
— Rick Francona (@MiddleEastGuy) October 26, 2019
The development comes after Washington decided to withdraw US troops from northeastern Syria following the start of a Turkish military operation against Kurdish forces on October 9.
A column of US troops has returned to northeastern Syria’s al-Hasakah Province from Iraq, Syria TV reports.
The news outlet claimed that “the column of American occupation forces entered […] the province through the illegal al-Walid border crossing” and that the column, which includes “dozens of soldiers and military hardware” is covered by US combat helicopters.
This comes a day after US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said that the US would maintain a “reduced presence” in Syria, citing concerns about Daesh* terrorists taking control of nearby oil fields.
Almost two weeks ago, Esper pledged that the US would withdraw all of its force of 1,000 soldiers from northeastern Syria, after Turkey launched its military operation in the area to drive Kurdish militias and remaining Daesh militants away from the border.
h/t Builder