US resumes patrol at oil reservoir in NE Syria

By Mohamad Misto and Adham Kako

QAMISHLI, Syria / ANKARA (AA) - After a pause in Turkey's anti-terror operation in northern Syria, U.S. troops on Friday resumed military patrols around oil reservoirs in northeastern Syria.

They patrolled the 40-kilometer (24.8-miles) area between the Qahtaniyah region and Rimelan district of Al-Hasakah city, six kilometers (3.7 miles) from the Turkish-Syrian border, in five armored vehicles and two pickup trucks.

Qahtaniyah, located in the east of Qamishli district, is known for its oil reservoirs.

There is a U.S. airbase and over 100 soldiers in Rimelan, another oil-rich area in the region.

The U.S. military bolstered its military fortifications in Deir ez-Zor after announcing it was beefing up its military presence.

Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9 to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.

Ankara wants YPG/PKK terrorists to withdraw from the region so that a safe zone can be created to repatriate some 2 million refugees.