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US military tankers smuggle crude oil from Syria’s Hasakah to western Iraq: SANA

As Washington is fiercely vying with some of its regional allies to seize oil reserves and plunder natural resources in Syria, the US military has reportedly dispatched dozens of tankers to the war-battered country’s northeastern province of Hasakah.

Local sources, requesting not to be named, told Syria’s official news agency SANA that a convoy of 35 tankers rumbled through al-Ya’rubiyah border crossing on Friday evening, and headed toward the Iraqi territory after being filled with crude oil.

Separately, Syrians staged a rally in al-Qusayr village, which lies in the the Qamishli district of Hasakah province, to protest against US and Turkish military deployment to their area, in addition to new anti-Syria economic sanctions which entered into force on June 17 under the so-called Caesar Act.

The protesters burnt US flags, and demeaned the immediate withdrawal of all foreign military troops and their mercenaries from the entire Syrian territory as the forces perpetrate various acts of aggression and loot the country’s natural wealth.

Syrians participate in a rally against US and Turkish military deployment to their area, as well as new US economic sanctions, in al-Qusayr village of Hasakah province, northeastern Syria, on July 10, 2020. (Photo by SANA)

Since late October 2019, the United States has been redeploying troops to the oil fields controlled by Kurdish forces in eastern Syria, in a reversal of President Donald Trump’s earlier order to withdraw all troops there.

The Pentagon alleges that the move aims to “protect” the fields and facilities from possible attacks by Daesh, ignoring the fact that Trump had earlier suggested that Washington sought economic interests in controlling the oil fields.

Syria, which has not authorized the presence of the US military in its territory, says Washington is “plundering” the country’s oil.

The presence of US forces in eastern Syria has particularly irked the civilians, and local residents have on several occasions stopped American military convoys entering the region.

Syrian army foils major militant attack in Latakia: Army

Moreover, Syrian government forces thwarted a major offensive by Turkish-backed Takfiri militants in the country’s western coastal province of Latakia.

An unnamed military source told SANA that the militants, armed with various weapons, launched an attack on military sites north of the town of Rabiah on Friday morning.

The source added that army soldiers foiled the attack and inflicted heavy losses on the Takfiris. No casualties have been reported on the Syrian army side.

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