Syrian army soldiers enter Rumailan oilfield in Hasakah after years: Reports

Syrian forces have entered an oilfield in the country’s northeastern province of Hasakah, as they continue to deploy in areas close to the border with Turkey in the face of a cross-border incursion by Turkish army troops and their allied militants against militants from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).

Several media outlets reported that Syrian troops had gone into the Rumailan oilfield, located near the village of Mulla Abbas, “for the first time in years.”

The Arabic-language daily al-Watan reported that Rumailan had remained outside state control for seven years.

The report comes as Washington has reversed an earlier decision to pull out all troops from northeastern Syria, announcing last week the deployment of about 500 troops to the oilfields controlled by Kurdish forces.

Meanwhile, units of Syrian army soldiers on Tuesday started to deploy to areas in the eastern countryside of the northeastern city of Qamishli to defend the territories against a possible Turkish aggression.

Syria’s official news agency reported that Syrian government forces passed through the towns of al-Qahtaniyah and al-Jawadiyah over a distance of more than 120 kilometers (74.5 miles) and started to establish posts once they reached the designated areas.

Separately, Turkish military forces have begun to bring military reinforcements to al-Souda village in the countryside of the strategic border town of Ra’s al-Ayn.

SS