DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – U.S. troops and allied militants from the Kurdish-led so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have held a joint military exercise in Syria’s eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr near the Iraqi border, amid concerns in Baghdad over a possible release of Daesh terrorists from U.S.-run prisons in Syria.
Local media outlets reported that dozens of American occupation troops and Kurdish militants participated in the joint drill, noting that the area where the training took place is close to the al-Omar oil field.
The reports added that U.S. troops and their allies brought missile and armored units into play and used various types of ammunition during the exercise.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the United States, the Zionist regime, and their Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are spreading insecurity in the country.
The U.S. military has stationed forces and equipment in eastern and northeastern Syria, with the Pentagon claiming that the deployment is aimed at preventing the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists.
Damascus, however, says the unlawful deployment is meant to plunder the country’s resources.
Additionally, security conditions have been deteriorating in the SDF-controlled areas in Syria’s northern and northeastern provinces of Raqqah, Hasakah and Dayr al-Zawr.
Local Syrians complain that the SDF’s constant raids have generated a state of frustration and instability, severely affecting their businesses and livelihood.
Residents accuse the U.S.-sponsored militants of stealing crude oil and refusing to spend money on service sectors.
Local councils affiliated with the SDF also stand accused of financial corruption.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s National Security Adviser, Qassem al-Araji, has once again expressed concern about the possibility of the release of Daesh elements and leaders from prisons controlled by U.S.-affiliated SDF militants in eastern Syria.
“More than 12,000 terrorists are being held in detention centers run by the [so-called] Syrian Democratic Forces. Daesh has made numerous attempts to break such prisons since most of the terrorist group’s leaders are incarcerated there,” Araji said on Saturday.
Araji has frequently met with U.S. officials and United Nations envoys to stress the need to resolve the issue of the al-Hawl refugee camp in the northeastern Syrian province of al-Hasakah.
Al-Hawl camp is located 15 kilometers away from the Syrian-Iraqi border. It is the largest camp of Daesh elements, and is controlled by the U.S.-affiliated Syrian Democratic Forces.