Deir Ezzur: ISIL Hands over Syria’s Second Largest Oilfield to US-backed SDF

The websites reported that the ISIL delivered control of al-Tanak oilfield, Syria’s second largest oilfield, to the SDF without any clashes in line with an agreement tat envisages surrendering their positions to the US-back forces.

The oilfield is located 35km East of Deir Ezzur city.

The Arabic-language Lebanon-based al-Akhbar paper wrote on Friday that ISIL withdrew from the town of Merkadah in Southern Hasaka and surrendered control to the SDF within the framework of an agreement that envisages delivering control of its regions to the SDF without any battle.

Merkadah is located along the al-Khabour River and was the last stronghold of ISIL in Hasaka. The town is on the administrative borderline between the provinces of Hasaka and Deir Ezzur.

After withdrawal from Merkadah, ISIL is only in control of desert-like regions in Hasaka and Deir Ezzur provinces along the border with Iraq.

The SDF did not comment on ISIL’s withdrawal, but the Deir Ezzur Military Council announced that they were ready to face the Syrian Army troops and popular forces in the province.