U.S. Deploys Patriot Missile Near Gas Field in Syria’s Dayr al-Zawr

Date: 27 May 2020 - 21:38

News ID: ۷۸۹۷۷

DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – The U.S.-led coalition deployed Patriot missile system near the Koniko gas field in Syria’s Dayr al-Zawr, opposition sources reported on Wednesday.
The Arabic-language al-Sham channel, close to the dissidents, reported that the U.S.-led coalition has extended its military presence and bases near Koniko and has set barbed wire around the gas field.
Meantime, al-Jisr newspaper, affiliated to the opposition, quoted local sources as saying that three Patriot missile systems have been deployed near Koniko, adding that Washington intends to station the system in several other areas of Dayr al-Zawr too.
The U.S. second biggest military base in Dayr al-Zawr is located near Koniko.
Reports said earlier this month that the U.S. was pulling two Patriot missile batteries and some fighter aircraft out of Saudi Arabia to transfer them to another regional state.
Early in May, a prominent Iraqi security expert warned of the U.S. plot to transfer its Patriot missile systems from Saudi Arabia to its bases in the Iraqi Kurdistan region and Kirkuk.
Amir Abdol Mona’am told the Arabic-language al-Ma’aloumeh news website that the U.S. might transfer the Patriot system from Saudi Arabia to Iraq to support the Daesh terrorists against the Iraqi security and Hashd al-Sha’abi popular forces.
He added that the U.S. is attempting to strengthen its presence in Iraq.
"The U.S. has started implementation of a new plan with focus on the military bases which are not in range of the resistance forces and it is expected that the Patriot system will be transferred from Saudi Arabia to Kirkuk or the Iraqi Kurdistan region or be used on mobile platforms in regions where terrorists are stationed,” Abdol Mona’am said.