US threatens ‘military force’ against ‘any group’ challenging occupation of Syria oil fields
Tehran (KNA) - The Pentagon has threatened that American forces deployed around Syrian oil fields will use “military force” against any party that may seek to challenge Washington’s control of those sites, even if it is Syrian government forces or their Russian allies.
Speaking at a news briefing on Monday, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper referred to "multiple state and non-state" forces vying for control of Syrian territory and resources.
The US military announced last week that it was reinforcing its position in Syria with additional assets, including mechanized forces, on a mission claimed to be aimed at preventing Syrian oil fields from falling to remnants of the Takfiri Daesh terror group in Syria, reversing President Donald Trump's promise of a full military withdrawal from the Arab state.
Speaking about the mission, Esper said Washington "will retain control of oil fields in northeast Syria," which provided the bulk of Daesh's income at the height of its terror campaign. The Takfiri outfit has, however, collapsed after it lost all the territories it had captured in 2014 in Syria and Iraq.
"US troops will remain positioned in this strategic area to deny ISIS (Daesh) access [to] those vital resources. And we will respond with overwhelming military force against any group that threatens the safety of our forces there," he added.
Source: PressTV