DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – Amid boiling public rage over the presence of American occupation forces in the energy-rich part of northeastern Syria, residents of two neighboring villages have blocked a U.S. military convoy in the province of Hasakah as it was attempting to pass through their community.
According to a report published by Syria’s official news agency SANA, the convoy of four armored vehicles was forced to turn around and head back in the directions it came from after locals of the village of Hamou, which lies on the southern outskirts of Qamishli city, and Tal Barisha village intercepted it on Tuesday.
SANA added that the convoy was accompanied by a car belonging to U.S.-sponsored and Kurdish-led militants affiliated with the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The development came two days after a U.S. convoy of five U.S. military vehicles was forced to retreat after locals of the village of Salhia Harb village, backed by Syrian army troops, blocked the road and prevented its movement.
The villagers hurled rocks at the vehicles. No injuries were reported.
On Monday, SANA reported that U.S. occupation forces are training a group of Daesh terrorists in the countryside of Hasakah province to carry out various acts of terror.
Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a number of the terrorists have been trained at the U.S. military base in al-Shaddadi town over the past few days on how to fire rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), shoulder-launched rockets as well as anti-armor and anti-aircraft missiles.
The sources added that the terrorists are set to be transferred within a short period of time to Jazira Region in the eastern Syrian province of Dayr al-Zawr and the Syrian desert, northeast of the capital Damascus, to attack positions of Syrian army forces, vital facilities and popular gatherings.
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 the Daesh terrorists.
Damascus, however, says the unlawful deployment is meant to plunder the country’s resources.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump admitted on several occasions that American forces were in Syria for its oil.