Earlier, Syrian television reported that a column of US ‘occupation forces' had crossed through the al-Walid border crossing point between Iraq and Syria, and that “dozens of soldiers” and vehicles were being trailed by attack helicopters. The deployment came a day after the Pentagon pledged to maintain a “reduced presence” in Syria.
US forces crossed into Syria on route to oil fields in Deir ez-Zor province, a US defence official confirmed to NBC News on Saturday. The deployment was said to be aimed at preventing Syrian oil fields from coming under the control of Daesh (ISIS)* or other ‘destabilisizing actors,' according to the unnamed official.
“We will not discuss details or timelines of those forces for security reasons,” the official said.
Earlier, CNN reported that the crossing had taken place, citing a Kurdish Regional Government official and Syrian Democratic Forces fighters. Two sources said to be inside Syria further confirmed to NBC that they witnessed a US military convoy driving toward Deir ez-Zor.
The convoy, said to consist of as many as 18 vehicles, and supported by a pair of US Army Apache attack helicopters, zipped past the city of Qamishli, where both Syrian and Russian military police had established a presence in recent days, on route to their destination.
Multiple videos and images, including by the Associated Press and Iran's PressTV, showed the troops on the move through…
