Tahrir Al-Sham Terrorists Collaborating with US in Oil Sanctions against Syria

The Arabic-language al-Rai al-Youm newspaper reported on Wednesday that Tahrir al-Sham terrorists have tightened their control over al-Ais passageway in Southern Idlib.

It added that Tahrir al-Sham intends to prevent transfer of oil products to the regions controlled by the Syrian government.

Syrians in government-controlled areas who have survived eight years of war face widespread fuel shortages due to the US-led western sanctions.

Cars line up by the hundreds outside petrol stations, and long lines of people waiting to buy rationed cooking gas begin forming before dawn. Taxi drivers are crossing the border to Lebanon to stock up on fuel — and then doubling their rates. Drivers can be seen pulling over because their gas tanks are empty.

Syrian officials say oil imports stopped in October.

Syria produced 350,000 barrels per day before the war and exported more than half of it. Now it is down to around 24,000 barrels a day, covering only a fraction of domestic needs, said Mustafa Hassweiya, head of the state company for distribution of fuel.